Sasikala breaks rules, hosts 28 visitors in a month
What's the story
According to documents accessed by TOI, AIADMK leader Sasikala, currently in jail at Parappana Agahara, has hosted 28 visitors in 31 days.
Each person spent over 40 minutes with her, some more than once, in a specially-designated area.
Higher officials reportedly sanctioned it in blatant violation of rules.
Ironically, DG (Prisons) Sathyanarayana Rao has often denied special treatment was being accorded to Sasikala.
Prison
Sasikala's jail term in Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara
On February 14, 2017, the SC awarded Sasikala a four-year jail term, fined her Rs. 10cr, and barred her from contesting elections for 10 years, after she was convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
Her sister-in-law J Ilavarasi and nephew Sudhakaran were also sent to jail in the case.
All have been lodged in Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Jail since February 16.
Guests
Sasikala meets party bigwigs, relatives, advocates
AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran met his aunt twice, each time for over 45 minutes.
Former TDP MLC met Sasikala on March 1 for about 20 minutes for "personal reasons".
She also met deputy speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai, nephews Vivek Jayaraman and K. Karthikeyan, party bigwigs and advocates.
However, fellow convicts Ilavarasi and VN Sudhakaran haven't had as many privileges.
Information
Laws prohibit more than one meeting in 15 days
The Karnataka Prison Manual and the Karnataka Prison Rules proclaim that a convict is eligible to meet friends, family or advocates once in 15 days, for about 10 minutes, under the supervision of a prison official. Contrarily, Sasikala often met her visitors in private.