BENGALURU: Amid reports that the parole application of sidelined AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala was rejected, an official of the Parappana Agrahara Central prison, where she is incarcerated for amassing wealth beyond her known sources of income, has said that the application has not been rejected and is still being examined.
“Why should it (parole) be rejected? She has applied for 15 days emergency parole stating that her husband is critical. The doctors attending on him have confirmed the same,” a top official of the prisons department said.
Sasikala’s husband Natarajan is in hospital awaiting a liver transplant.
The prison official said the parole plea was being processed and that the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison Superintendent, who is the authority to grant parole, is examining whether there are any cases against her in other courts of Tamil Nadu including in Chennai.
“He is just gathering details and the parole will be considered once he receives the reports from respective courts,” the official clarified.
Asked about reports in a section of the media stating that Sasikala’s parole plea had been rejected, he termed it as false.
Yesterday, a medical bulletin released by Gleneagles Global Hospital, where Natarajan is being treated, stated that he was in a critical condition.
The press release from the hospital read, "Currently, he (Natarajan) is admitted at the Liver Intensive Care Unit, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai, under the team headed by Professor Mohamed Rela, with worsening liver failure, kidney failure and lung congestion and his condition remains critical.”
On September 10, Natarajan registered with the Tamil Nadu Organ Sharing Registry for deceased donor liver transplant.
Sasikala, a long-time associate of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, was sentenced by the Supreme Court for amassing wealth disproportionate to her known source of income, along with her mentor (posthumously). Her relatives Ilavarasi and V N Sudhakaran are also serving a four-year jail term along with her, since February
The Karnataka High Court had set aside a special court order and acquitted Jayalalithaa and others in mid-2015. Karnataka State then appealed against the order in the Supreme Court. Later on after the death of Jayalalitha, Sasikala, who was almost on the verge of becoming the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu received a jolt. The apex court upheld the trial court order and quashed the High Court order. Jayalalithaa was declared guilty after her death and Sasikala along with Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran were sent to Parappana Agrahara prison.