Manu Sharma met Sahara chief in jail during Alok Verma term

NEW DELHI: For two days in August 2015, Sahara chief Subrato Roy had an unusual visitor at Tihar jail — Manu Sharma, convicted in the Jessica Lal murder case. Both times, Sharma was accom- panied by a senior jail officer, Tihar officials said. Security personnel flagged the visit, and it was brought to the notice of then Tihar director-general Alok Verma, who is now CBI director and in the eye of a storm following the government’s decision to divest him of duties.

Sharma visited Roy on August 15 and 16, 2015, a source said. On September 3, 2015, when no action was taken, the then commandant of TN special police at the jail, sent a telegram to Verma. The telegram, accessed by TOI, reads, “It is submitted that on 15.8.2015, around 14.30hrs, assistant superintendent SGK Murti came into special jail with inmate of semi open jail, Manu Sharma, and met inmate Subrata Roy... Went out at 17.50hrs... And again on 16.8.2015, DJ warder Mukesh Mor came into the special jail with inmate Manu Sharma at 17.50hrs and went out at 18.22hrs.” Murti and Mor allegedly said Roy’s computer was not working so they brought Sharma to fix it. No action was taken, sources said.

Verma did not respond to TOI’s messages. The Tihar spokesperson said he was unaware of the issue.