A 150 foot-long corridor which leads to Sasikala's cell is reportedly kept clear at all times: Sources
Highlights
- Sasikala imprisoned in Bengaluru Central Prison in February
- VIP treatment includes cells near hers being kept empty: Sources
- 150-ft corridor leading to her cell cordoned off: Sources
VIP treatment in prison for politician VK Sasikala includes five cells near hers being kept empty to ensure her privacy, a flat-screen television in her cell, and access to unused chambers of jail officials for meetings with visitors, according to sources inside Karnataka's prison system.
The details have emerged along with photographs and a video that first aired on local channels that show a 150 foot-long corridor which leads to the 61-year-old's cell which is reportedly kept clear at all times and is barricaded off at both ends, allowing Ms Sasikala a suite of rooms.
Allegations of the largesse of facilities showered upon Ms Sasikala led to senior police officer D Roopa losing her job yesterday as Deputy Inspector General of Prisons. She has instead been assigned the far more prosaic charge of traffic and road safety in Bengaluru.
On Thursday, the young police woman alleged that Ms Sasikala had bribed senior jail officials with 2 crores for special treatment that included a kitchen that catered meals only for her.
Ms Sasikala was jailed in Bengaluru in February after the Supreme Court convicted her of corruption in a case dating back to the 1990s during J Jayalalithaa's first term as Chief Minister. The two women lived together, and when Ms Jayalalithaa died in hospital at the end of last year while still Chief Minister, her party, the AIADMK, shifted orbit overnight to Ms Sasikala, placing her in charge of all decisions as General Secretary, the outfit's top post. Her ambition to take over as Chief Minister led to a split in the AIADMK - a rift that has still not been resolved- and was curtailed when the top court ordered her jailing.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered an inquiry into the allegations of Ms Sasikala's exceptional treatment in prison. His administration claims that transferring Ms Roopa is part of ensuring a fair investigation.