Former MP Rizwan Zaheer found enjoying luxuries in Lalitpur jail
Lucknow: In a serious breach of prison regulations, jailed former MP Rizwan Zaheer was found to be living in VIP comfort during an inspection at Lalitpur District Jail on Sunday.
The raid, conducted by District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) secretary Mayank Jaiswal, revealed luxury items and banned goods inside Zaheer's high-security barrack, including cash hidden under his pillow.
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The inspection team also recovered a comfortable mattress; branded food products like desi ghee and sweets; pickles; expensive toiletries including branded soap, shampoo, and cream; tiffin boxes; cooking oil; and even a battery-operated fan. The use of high-end crockery and the alleged preparation of VIP meals in a separate barrack raised serious concerns.
Terming the incident a grave violation of prison norms, additional inspector general (Prisons) Dharmendra Singh said, "Given the seriousness of the matter, a fact-finding report was ordered and submitted by the DIG, Prisons, Kanpur Range.
Action is being taken against the officials responsible."
The report, sent to prison headquarters, outlines procedural lapses and names jail staff suspected of allowing illegal items to be smuggled into the barrack. Departmental action is underway against at least four prison personnel, including a warder and a deputy jailor.
Jail superintendent Mukesh Kumar claimed that Zaheer, a heart patient, was advised by doctors to sleep on a soft mattress.
He acknowledged that cash was found but claimed the amount was Rs 7,500.
Zaheer, a former Samajwadi Party MP from Balrampur and a known history-sheeter from Harraiya, has been lodged in jail since July 2022 in connection with the murder conspiracy of former Tulshipur Nagar Panchayat chairman Firoz Ahmad alias Pappu. He faces 14 serious charges, including murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act violations, and Gangster Act cases.
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