Sukesh Chandrashekhar's allegations planted to divert attention from Morbi bridge collapse, says Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said the conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar's allegations against Satyendra Jain are completely fictitious and are planted to divert the nation's attention from the bridge collapse tragedy in Morbi.

Image credit: PTI

New Delhi:  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday (November 1) said the allegations made by conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar are completely fictitious and are being planted to drive the country's attention form the Morbi bridge collapse tragedy. Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar has written to Delhi LG from Tihar jail, alleging threat-pressure by Satyendar Jain and DG Prison. Taking to the media Delhi CM Kejriwal said yesterday all the media channels were covering the issue of the Morbi bridge collapse but today all the focus from the Morbi tragedy disappeared and Sukesh Chandrashekhar's allegations appeared all over the news channels. 

"Morbi tragedy occurred the day before yesterday. All TV channels raised this issue yesterday but it disappeared today and Sukesh Chandrashekhar's allegations appeared. Doesn't this look like a completely fictitious story planted to divert attention from Morbi?" ANI quoted  Kejriwal.

Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar accuses Satyendra Jain of extortion

Conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar has alleged that Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain had extracted Rs 10 crore as “protection money” to protect him in the Tihar Jail. Sukesh Chandrashekhar made these claims in a letter addressed to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena in which he also said that he knew the AAP leader since 2015. 

In his letter, the incarcerated conman said that a total amount of Rs 50 crore was paid to Jain’s party AAP which promised to offer him an important party position in south India.

“After my arrest in 2017, I was lodged in Tihar Jail and was visited multiple times by Satyendar Jain, who held the portfolio of jail minister... In 2019 again, I was visited by Jain, whose secretary asked me to pay Rs 2 crore every month as protection money and to get basic facilities inside the jail,” Chandrashekhar claimed in his hand-written letter.

Conman #SukeshChandrashekhar claims that jailed AAP leader #SatyendraJain extracted Rs 10 crore for his 'protection’ pic.twitter.com/eolAXbNMq3 — Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) November 1, 2022

He also claimed that he had disclosed the payments made to Jain, the AAP and also D-G Prisons to a CBI probe team last month. The letter was sent to the Delhi LG through his lawyer. In view of his explosive letter, the Delhi LG is said to have ordered an inquiry to verify the truth.

Chandrashekhar is currently lodged at Delhi’s Mandoli jail. He was arrested for allegedly extorting money from high-profile people, including former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh’s wife Aditi. He was shifted from Tihar jail to Mandoli Jail in Delhi in August this year after he made repeated requests for a transfer to another jail. He claimed he had received death threats from within the Tihar jail.