Top jail officials clash over 'special' treatment to Sasikala

A senior police official has alleged that AIADMK (Amma) leader V K Sasikala was being given preferential treatment at a prison here, including a special kitchen being set up for her, and there was "talk" that senior jail officials accepted Rs 2 crore as bribe to facilitate it.

Deputy Inspector of General (Prisons) D Roopa made these allegations in a report submitted to DGP (Prisons) H S Sathyanarayana Rao on Wednesday. In the four-page report after visiting the central prison on July 10, Roopa said a special kitchen was functioning in the jail for Sasikala in violation of prison rules.

"There are rumours that the kitchen is continuing to function despite the issue being brought to your (Rao) notice.

There is also a talk that Rs 2 crore has been paid as bribe for this.

"As unfortunately these allegations are also against you, it is requested that you look into the matter and take merciless disciplinary action against erroneous officials," the report signed by Roopa said.

However, Rao rubbished the charge against him by Roopa, terming it "absolutely false, baseless and wild". He said he would take legal recourse against his junior.

He said no special treatment was meted out to anybody, adding that even in the matter of visitations, ministers, MPs and MLAs of Tamil Nadu were not being obliged.

Sasikala is lodged at the Parappana Agrahara central prison here ever since her conviction in February in the disproportionate assets case along with her two relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, all serving a four year jail term.

In the report, she has also mentioned about the "preferential" treatment being provided to fake stamp paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi in the prison. Undertrial prisoners in his cell are allegedly being used to do his personal work like pressing his shoulders, arms and legs.

Noting that six months ago there was a court direction to provide Telgi with assistants as he was using a wheelchair, the DIG in her report said though now he was dependant on it and was walking properly, three to four undertrials are still allowed in his cell to do his work. "I think you too might have seen this on the CCTV installed in your chamber. Allowing undertrials with convicts like Telgi is against the prison rules. Despite knowing this, the superintendent of the jail has not taken any action," she said.