In 2005, Tripathi was reportedly caught on tape assuring two prisoners of providing them “undue favours”. The then Director-General (Prison) Mahabir Yadav conducted a two-year inquiry into the case and on the basis of his report the state government dismissed Tripathi on Thursday evening.

“We have lodged a caveat application in both the Lucknow Bench and the Allahabad Bench of the High Court a couple of days ago. We have requested the court to listen to us before providing any relief to Tripathi,” sources in the Home department said.

Sources in the jail department said Mahabir Yadav’s report confirmed that Tripathi, who joined the police department as jail superintendent in 1974, had spoken to mafia don Atul Singh and his aide Manish Tiwari. Singh and Tiwati had spoken from the Lucknow District Jail on a mobile phone. Atul Singh, who was accused in 20 cases, is lodged in the Etawah District Jail at present.

Sources said the Lucknow police had recorded the conversation on April 27, 2005, but made it public on May 30 after it was confirmed that the call had been made from Tripathi’s residence. The recording produced by the police says Atul was requesting Tripathi to stop his transfer from Lucknow District Jail to Fatehgarh District Jail.

In the tapes, Tripathi can be heard assuring Atul and his aide that he would look into the matter. “Tripathi told Atul that if he gets transferred to Fatehgarh jail, there will be no problem for him as officials there will be asked to take care of him,” said a senior officer.

Acting on a complaint from a local businessman that Atul was threatening him using a mobile phone, the sources said, the Lucknow police put the number on surveillance and found that the number was being used inside the jail.

On one occasion, it was found that a call was made to the house of one senior jail officer, who turned out to be Tripathi.