VVIP perks for Ex-MP in jail: Lalitpur dy jailer suspended, enquiry ordered

VVIP perks for Ex-MP in jail: Lalitpur dy jailer suspended, enquiry ordered

VVIP perks for Ex-MP in jail: Lalitpur dy jailer suspended, enquiry ordered ByHT Correspondent, Lucknow Jun 04, 2025 07:46 PM IST Read this news in brief form Share Via Copy Link Officials from the prison administration headquarters in Lucknow confirmed on Wednesday that deputy jailer Jai Narain Bharati has been suspended for his alleged involvement in providing special facilities to the jailed politician.

A surprise inspection at Lalitpur district jail has triggered administrative action against several prison officials after banned items and luxury amenities were found in the barrack of former Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Rizwan Zaheer, who is lodged in a murder conspiracy case. The revelations led to the suspension of the deputy jailer and three ward staff, while inquiries have been launched against senior jail authorities.

Probes launched after banned items were found in Rizwan Zaheer’s barrack during a surprise inspection (SOURCED)

Officials from the prison administration headquarters in Lucknow confirmed on Wednesday that deputy jailer Jai Narain Bharati has been suspended for his alleged involvement in providing special facilities to the jailed politician. “A departmental inquiry has been initiated against Jailer Jeevan Singh, and a recommendation has been sent to the state government to initiate proceedings against jail superintendent Mukesh Kumar for negligence,” the prison administration headquarters spokesperson informed.

Earlier, two head warders, Rajendra Prasad and Virendra Shah, and a warder named Rajnesh Yadav were suspended after an initial inquiry found them complicit in allowing unauthorised items inside the jail premises.

The matter came to light during a surprise visit by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) on Sunday. During the inspection, officials recovered a branded mattress, pillows, a battery-operated fan, a packet of ghee, pickles, a tiffin box, oil, soap, shampoo, cream, and ₹30,000 in cash from the former MP’s barrack.

DLSA secretary Mayank Jaiswal objected to the recoveries and sought an explanation from local jail officials regarding the unauthorised items. The preliminary investigation was conducted by the deputy inspector general (DIG) of the Kanpur Range.

Additional inspector general (AIG), prisons, Dharmendra Singh, said the items found indicated a clear breach of jail protocols and pointed to internal collusion.

Rizwan Zaheer, 60, has a long political career spanning over three decades. He served as an MLA from Tulsipur assembly in 1989, 1993, and 1996, first as an independent, then as a Samajwadi Party candidate, and later on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Balrampur on an SP ticket in 1998 and 1999. In 2014, he contested unsuccessfully from Shravasti on a Peace Party ticket.

Zaheer has been in jail since January 2022 after being named in the murder conspiracy of local politician Feroz Khan, who was shot dead by two masked men outside his residence in Balrampur on the night of January 5, 2022. Zaheer, along with his daughter, her husband, and two others, was arrested on January 10 that year in connection with the case.