Jayalalithaa’s close aide VK Sasikala was jailed in 2017 I File photo | Photo Credit: PTI

Bengaluru, Karnataka: A Right to Information (RTI) query by activist N Murthy has revealed damaging information for Tamil Nadu jail authorities over ‘facilities’ provided to the deceased AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa’s close aide VK Sasikala in jail. The RTI reveals that Sasikala, who is currently serving a four-year jail term in disproportionate assets case in a Bengaluru prison, has been given VIP facilities such as personal cook, unrestricted access to visitors among others.

“There were allegations against jail authority that they had allotted five rooms to Sasikala. She was entitled to one room as was given instead. In other four rooms, female convicts were staying until 14 Feb 2017. Once Sasikala reached, they were sent out and all 5 rooms were given to her," Murthy said.

RTI activist Narasimha Murthy: There's no provision for cooking food in prison but jail authorities deputed one convict to cook for Sasikala. In her case, system was ignored. People used to come in groups, go to her room directly & stay for 3-4 hrs. There was violation of rules. https://t.co/jYjeRbMyOj — ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2019

D Roopa, who was then deputy inspector general of prisons, first raised the issue on July 13, 2017. She alleged that the jailed Sasikala and her aids were given preferential treatment in the prison amid allegations that Rs 2 crore were paid in bribes to an official for the same.

"There's no provision for cooking food in prison but the jail authorities deputed one convict to cook for Sasikala. In her case, system was ignored. People used to come in groups, go to her room directly and stay for 3-4 hrs. There was violation of rules,” the RTI activist said.

Karnataka government ordered a probe into the allegations shortly after. Roopa flagged the issue in a report to her superior, DGP (Prisons) H S Sathyanarayana Rao. Then Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a "high-level probe" into the allegations. She named retired DGP Sathyanarayana Rao for giving preferential treatment to the jailed Jayalalithaa’s aide.

After Roopa’s report, retired DGP HN Sathyanarayana Rao filed a Rs 20 crore defamation case against her for making “baseless allegations” against him when he was the in charge of the prisons department.

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