Delhi court pulls up ED over leak of Satyendar Jain jail massage video

A former Tihar jail official has raised questions on AAP leader Manish Sisodia's claim that Satyendar Jain was receiving physiotherapy in his jail cell.

Pic Credit: File Photo

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has issued a contempt of court notice to the Enforcement Directorate for leaking Satyendar Jain's video from jail. The AAP leader's legal team had earlier moved to a Special court with an application seeking contempt action against ED. Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain's CCTV video from jail in which he's seen getting a foot massage is receiving a lot of flak from the BJP. Satyender Jain is currently in jail as he is an accused in a money laundering case. In the viral video, Jain is seen lying on his bed and reading some papers while a man beside him gives him a foot massage. The CCTV footage showing Satyendar Jain taking a foot Massage in Tihar jail is dated September 13, 2022. The clip also showed that Jain was logged into Cell 1 of Block A.

Special court issues contempt of court notice to ED on Satyendar Jain's application for leaking Tihar CCTV footage to BJP & others.

AAP leader and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia defended the video and stated that Jain was receiving treatment for a "spine injury" and that he is under physiotherapy treatment. He accused the saffron party of cheap theatrics, claiming Jain, who is in judicial custody in a money laundering case, had collapsed in jail.

"He (Jain) had sustained an injury to his spine and even underwent two surgeries. The doctor had advised physiotherapy upon discharge and those videos show him getting physiotherapy," Sisodia stated.

Tihar official dismisses Sisodia's claim

Reacting to the video and AAP's claims, Sunil Gupta, former public relations officer (PRO) at Tihar Jail said that physiotherapy is given in dedicated wards in the hospital, not in a jail cell. 

The massage that he was being given inside the cell is not permissible under jail rules. As far as physiotherapy is concerned, in every jail, there's a physiotherapy centre where massage can be given by a physiotherapist or a trained expert: Sunil Gupta, former PRO, Tihar Jail pic.twitter.com/7r3DneOuFG — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2022

He said, "The video clearly showed that co-prisoners were giving massage. Massage is different from physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is given in physiotherapy wards in the hospital. The massage that he was being given inside the cell is not permissible under jail rules. As far as physiotherapy is concerned, in every jail, there's a physiotherapy centre where massage can be given by a physiotherapist or a trained expert."

Money laundering case

In connection with the disproportionate assets and money laundering case, Jain was arrested in April after the ED attached Rs 4.81 crores worth of immovable properties owned by private firms under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). According to the charge sheet, Satyendar Jain acquired assets disproportionate to his known sources of income while serving as a minister in the AAP government of Delhi from February 14 to May 31, 2017. 

(With agency inputs)