New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS): An extortion racket allegedly being run from the Mandoli jail in northeast Delhi has been busted by Delhi police with the arrest of five men, including a 50-year-old head warden of the prison.

The police said an active member of Nandu Gang -- notorious for indulging in extortion, identified as Vikas is the mastermind of the extortion racket and allegedly operated from the jail where he is currently lodged.

While the head warden has been identified as Rajender Singh, the other four accused are Jagmohan (23), Vikas (28), Pramod Kumar (30), Honey Rajpal (35).

Pramod who was in judicial custody had recently secured interim bail while Rajpal is also lodged in the jail for murder.

During interrogation, Pramod confessed that in jail, he met Rajpal, who is currently in Mandoli Jail in connection with a murder case.

When he was released on interim bail, Rajpal called Pramod to arrange and deliver 10 SIM cards in jail through the head warden Rajender for which he would receive Rs 2,000 per SIM.

"On this, he got 4 SIMs issued in his name and 6 SIMs in his brother Jagmohan's name and handed over the same to Head Warden Rajender at Main Gate of Mandoli Jail and Khajuri Khas Chowk on different occasions," said DCP Dwarka Anto Alphonse.

During investigation, the SIM card dealers were examined, their record was checked and the 50-yr-old accused Rajender Singh was arrested.

Rajender was tasked to collect and deliver the SIM cards in the jail premises by avoiding checking and frisking, and handover the SIM cards to Rajpal in jail.

On the basis of his disclosure and WhatsApp chats, the team arrested Honey Rajpal and Vikas alias PK, a resident of village Bakkarwala in Delhi, the mastermind of this racket.

The mobile phones of the accused persons having Whatsapp chat between them have been seized.