The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi government has uncovered a criminal gang-like extortion and bribery network operating in the prison system of the city’s capital and has arrested 11 persons so far, including senior jail officials, warders, advocates and private individuals.
The investigation is still in its infancy, the officials said, and more arrests are likely as the agency tracks the financial transactions and identifies other members of the alleged syndicate.
Complaint Triggered the Investigation
The case came to light after the ACB received a complaint on 9 February 2026 from a man who said that he was being forced to pay money to protect his father and brother, both of whom were undertrial prisoners in Rohini Jail.
The family was threatened and pressured to make regular payments to keep the inmates safe, comfortable and provided with other facilities while in custody, the complaint said. The Anti-Corruption Branch took the allegations seriously and set up a trap to catch those involved.
The officials arrested six persons for taking illegal payments. Dinesh Dabas, Pankaj Kumar and Ravi Kumar, all warders of Rohini Jail, Jogender, an Assistant Head Warder from Tihar Jail, advocate Manish from Faridabad and Ashish Rana, a private person from Delhi, were among them.
The ACB also recovered Rs 1 lakh in alleged bribe money during the trap operation.
Probe Uncovers Larger Criminal Network
What appeared as a single bribery case was in fact much bigger.
Bank accounts, financial transactions, mobile phone records and digital evidence revealed a larger organised network. Money allegedly taken from prisoners’ families was transferred through multiple bank accounts before being withdrawn in cash and distributed among the syndicate’s members.
The officials believe the network was organized, and people in different roles collected, moved and distributed the illegal proceeds.
Based on the evidence collected during the investigation, the ACB made further arrests.
Some of those arrested were Sunil Kumar, Assistant Superintendent of Rohini Jail, Yogesh, Head Warder at Rohini Jail, Jagbir, a warder at the same prison, advocate Harender Bansal of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and Viplove Khari, a private person in Delhi.
Jail officials among those arrested
According to the Anti-Corruption Branch, the 11 accused include one Assistant Superintendent, six jail warders, two advocates and two private individuals.
The involvement of prison staff has raised serious concerns over corruption and the alleged misuse of authority within the prison system. Investigators are examining whether the accused acted independently or as part of a larger organised network operating across multiple correctional facilities.
The ACB is also investigating whether similar extortion practices were carried out against other inmates and their families.
Investigation Continues
Now we are trying to trace the full money trail, identify other beneficiaries and to find out the full extent of the conspiracy, they said. And so investigators are going through financial records and electronic evidence to see how long the racket had been active and whether more officials or outside associates were involved.
The case has once again brought into focus concerns about corruption in prison administration and the vulnerability of undertrial prisoners and their families to illegal demands. The authorities have assured that the investigation will continue until every individual connected to the alleged extortion network is identified and brought to justice.
With the arrests of 11 accused, the ACB has delivered a serious blow to what it describes as an organised prison extortion syndicate, but officials say the probe remains far from over as they continue to unravel the larger conspiracy.
