High-profile Tihar inmates express fear on jail van travel

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After former telecom minister A. Raja, other high-profile Tihar prisoners including sacked Commonwealth Games OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi have expressed fear of attack by other undertrials inside the crowded jail van during their travel for court hearings.

Kalmadi's plea was given consideration by special CBI judge Talwant Singh, who directed the jail superintendents 'to explore the possibility of transporting Kalmadi and others to the court on dates of hearing in a separate van and communicate its decision in this regard on July 21'.

The other co-accused in the case - OC former director general V.K. Verma, OC former secretary general Lalit Bhanot, OC former officials M Jaychandran, Surjit Lal and ASV Prasad - also voiced similar fears before the court.

Earlier, Raja, the prime accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, was wary of being transported with hardcore undertrials in the crowded jail van.

He had pleaded before a special court trying the case that his remand proceedings be conducted through video- conferencing on security grounds.

All the accused in the 2G scam are now brought to the court in a separate jail van.