Sasikala Natarajan has been sentenced by the apex court to serve a four-years of jail a week ago as she was held accountable for the corruption in a two-decade-old wealth case. Sasikala and her co-convict sister-in-law Elavarasi and nephew V.K. Sudhakaran pleaded for more time from the Supreme Court which was rejected, sending them back to a central jail in the outskirts of southern India. A trial court had first held her guilty in September 2014 in Bengaluru.
As AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala is coming to terms with the air of the prison, she hopes to get better facilities in view of her age and weak health, a party leader said on Wednesday. The AIADMK chief, lodged in Parappana Agrahara jail, wants a cot, a table fan, a mattress and an attached bathroom, said NDTV reports. Earlier, Sasikala’s requests for a doctor on call, non vegetarian food twice a week and mineral water were rejected by the jail authorities.
“Chinamma (Sasikala) is fine though weak. Her sugar level and BP (blood pressure) are normal. She is adjusting to the prison life. She has applied for better facilities. We hope she gets them,” the AIADMK’s Karnataka unit Secretary V. Pugazhendi reported IANS.
“Does she have a choice but serve the jail term as ordered by the Supreme Court?” asked Pugazhendi.
“As Sasikala had spent three weeks along with Amma (J. Jayalalithaa) in the same jail over two years ago (September-October 2014), she is familiar with the harsh conditions in the women’s cell,” she added.
“We are hoping the authorities will consider her request for better amenities like a cot, mattress, table fan and attached bathroom so that she can take care of her health till she gets transferred to the Central Jail in Chennai,” said Pugazhendi.
Pugazhendi also added that Sasikala would apply for transfer to the Central Jail in Chennai after discussing the issue with CM and her lawyers.
According to Jail authorities, Karnataka Director General of Prisons H.L. Satyanarayana Rao said that the jail superintendent could consider such a plea on health or humanitarian grounds.
“We can consider at our discretion if a request is made by the convict and the application is within the process of law,” Rao said.
He further cleared that, in her first week in the prison, she was treated equally as her other inmates in the jail. No special provision was made for her.
“No special treatment or privileges are given to Sasikala or Elavarasi. They both are in adjacent cells. Relatives or guests are allowed to meet only twice a week between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.,” Rao said.
