Sasikala's 12 time visitors in a month raise questions on prison rules

Bengaluru: AIADMK chief VK Sasikala has met visitors 12 times in a month at the Parappana Agrahara central jail here, where she is lodged following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case, allegedly in violation of prison rules, reports PTI.

According to information made available by the Central Prison in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, Sasikala met the visitors between February 16 and March 18. Her relatives and co-convicts in the case, Elavarasi and VN Sudhakaran, met visitors four times and once respectively during the said period. Among Sasikala’s visitors were lawyers, her nephews TTV Dinakaran and Vivek J and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai. Activist

Narasimha Murthy, who had filed the RTI application, claimed to PTI that this was in violation of jail rules. Undertrials and convicts are entitled to meet visitors as per the Karnataka Prison Manual and Karnataka Prison Rules. The rules state that undertrial prisoners are eligible for one such meeting a week with their relatives, friends and lawyers, while convicts are eligible to have visitors once in 15 days.

While the jail authorities were unavailable for comments, reports quoting prison officials suggest that the jailer can use discretion in this regard.

On February 15, Sasikala was sent to jail after she surrendered before a trial court here, a day after the Supreme Court restored her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.