Sasikala given special treatment in jail?

⁠⁠⁠Stunning claims made by DIG Prisons, Karnataka D Roopa in a report accessed exclusively by republicworld.com suggest that VK Sasikala, the close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, is being given special privileges in Bengaluru central jail where she is currently serving a 4-year jail sentence after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case.

The 10-page report, that republicworld.com has accessed, has indicated that a special kitchen has been built for Sasikala, a high profile prisoner of Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Jail since February, 2017. It also accuses top prison officials of being well aware of the violations and deliberately ignoring them in lieu of financial incentives.  

The explosive report also refers to fake-stamp paper scam accused Abdul Karim Telgi, also lodged in the same prison, of getting assistance of 3-4 under trials who were sharing a cell with him to assist him as he was physically impaired and being wheel-chair bound over 6 months ago.

'Hope action will be taken'

When contacted, D. Roopa, DIG Prisons, confirmed sending the report to DG Prisons HSN Rao. 'I have written all details in the report.  I hope action will be taken as per the law', she told republicworld.com, refusing to comment further.

Sources tell republicworld.com that a copy of the letter for information has also been marked to DGP, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary of Home Department, Principal Secretary of Home Department and the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Karnataka.

Hearsay of Money changing hands

The official in the 10-page report also claims that there are hearsay accounts of money changing hands. The DIG in the report talks about a possible monetary bribe angle wherein claims are made that top prison officials were allegedly well aware of the violations and were deliberately ignoring them in lieu of financial incentives.

A high-profile prisoner

Sasikala is one of the most high profile prisoners of Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara jail and has been lodged there since February, 2017. On February 14 this year, the Supreme Court upheld Sasikala's conviction in a 21-year-old corruption case and ordered her to surrender forthwith and serve the remaining part of her four-year jail term in the Disproportionate  Assets case.

In addition to serving the jail term, the verdict meant that Sasikala, who was harbouring ambitions of becoming the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister at the time, would not be allowed to contest for the next 10 years.  The court found the 61-year-old and two others — J Ilavarasi and VN Sudhakaran — guilty in the corruption case. 

The three accused, sentenced under Section 109 IPC read with Section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act — abetment of criminal misconduct of a public servant, were also mandated to a pay a fine of Rs 10 crore each.  Even after Sasikala's arrest, there have been murmurs that she continues to head the realm of the AIADMK party affairs through her nephew, TTV Dhinakaran -- who has been one of her most frequent visitors at the Bengaluru Central jail.