Sahara chief Subrata Roy back at Tihar jail’s special facility again

Subrata Roy, the jailed chief of the Sahara group, is back at Tihar jail's air-conditioned conference room which has facilities like internet and video-conferencing after the Supreme Court allowed him to complete negotiations for raising funds for his bail (See: SC nod for Sahara to re-mortgage foreign holdings).

Roy, 66, who has been lodged in Tihar jail for over nine months for failure to refund over Rs20,000 crore of deposits collected from investors, has been allowed to use of facility till 22 February.

Roy along with two of Sahara's directors Ashok Roy Choudhary and Ravi Shankar Dubey, who were lodged in Tihar, have already been transferred back to the conference room from the barracks, reports said.

Roy will be allowed to have a stenographer, secretarial assistants and one technical assistant to help him during the permitted time slot from 6 AM to 8 PM on the working days.

Roy has also been allowed two laptops, two desktops, landline phones and one mobile phone.

The Sahara chief had earlier had an extended 57-day stay at the special facility till 30 September 30, which cost the group Rs31 lakh in charges paid to Tihar jail.

The apex court had, on 9 January, extended its 1 August 2014 order for conference facility for him in Tihar jail to raise the funds.

The Sahara group has been asked to pay Rs10,000 crore to get bail for Roy. Out of this, Rs5,000 crore should be paid in cash and rest in bank guarantee.

Tihar jail authorities said they have received the court order for restoration of the facilities given to Sahara chief and the jail administration has already complied with it.

Roy's meetings with clients to be held at the conference room will, however, be under surveillance of CCTV cameras.