VK Sasikala Paid 2 Crores For Exclusive Kitchen In Jail, Says Prison Report

Chennai: AIADMK chief VK Sasikala has managed to get special treatment at the Bengaluru central prison including an exclusive kitchen for her meals, a report by a senior jail official D Roopa says, pointing accusing fingers at her boss who she said, was aware of violations of the jail rules but had done little.

The officer's report says there was speculation that the AIADMK boss - who was sentenced to serve four years in jail for corruption by the Supreme Court for disproportionate assets - had paid 2 crores to jail officials for the special facilities and rumours were swirling in the jail that the state's Director General of Prisons HN Satyanarayana Rao may also be a beneficiary.

Ms Roopa sent her findings to red-flag multiple violations in the central jail to her boss, Mr Rao. It is not clear if she marked copies of the letter to other top officers including the state's police chief as well.

The officer, who had joined the jail department as a Deputy Inspector General, or DIG, just a few weeks earlier, had carried out a detailed inspection of the Parappana Agrahara central prison on 10 July, Monday.

"It (special kitchen) is said to be continuing despite you being aware of it. It is being rumoured that 2 crores bribe has been given for this and allegations of your involvement is unfortunate... So guilty officers should be punished", says DIG Roopa's communication to Mr Rao.

Asked to comment on the sensational report, Mr Rao insisted that he had not received it so far. "Everything appears to be false and absolutely baseless," Mr Rao told NDTV.

NDTV has, however, accessed the report.

According to this document, Sasikala wasn't the only beneficiary.

Abdul Karim Telgi, the kingpin of a multi-crore stamp paper fraud that hit the headlines about a decade earlier, has 3-4 helpers in his barrack who are seen massaging his legs and shoulder. Telgi had been allowed the helpers by a court six months back when he was using a wheelchair. But the report says that though he is fit now, the facility hasn't been withdrawn. Repeated reminders to Jail Superintendent to withdraw this facility have not yielded any results.

Ms Roopa's report also refers to a random drug test carried out on 25 inmates. Around 18 prisoners tested positive for cannabis and other drugs.

This isn't the first time that questions have been raised about the jail administration's functioning. When a right to information reply revealed that VK Sasikala was allowed more than her share of visitors, many of them after 5 pm deadline, Mr Satyanarayana Rao had defended the special dispensation, claiming that the rule about visitors is not ironclad - the jailor is allowed to use his discretion.