Chennai: A special team of police that is investigating the dacoity-cum-murder case at Kodanad estate today questioned former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s close aide V K Sasikala in Chennai. This is the first time she was questioned in the case.
According to sources, the questioning session started this morning and top officials were present.
A team consisting of IG, West Zone, R Sudhakar, SP, Nilgiris Ashish Rawath and two other officers reached her residence in T Nagar at 10 am, sources said and added the team questioned her on the Kodanad property, documents in their possession and about the victims in the case.
Sasikala was serving prison term in Bengaluru in the disproportionate assets case when armed men gained entry into the estate bungalow at Kodanad, frequented by Jayalalithaa and her, in April 2017 after murdering a security guard.
Today’s questioning comes days after the SIT interrogated Amma Peravai functionary ‘Anubhav’ Ravi and former AIADMK MLA VC Arukutty. While 200 persons have been questioned in this case, 10 individuals have been arrested and are facing trial in the Kotagiri court.
Sasikala’s questioning in the case is important because she used to handle the estate when Jayalalithaa was alive.
The Kodanad tea estate in Nilgiris district was Jayalalithaa’s summer retreat and sometimes she even functioned from here while in office.
The land spread across more than 900 acre was said to be jointly purchased by Jayalalithaa and Sasikala and her family members in the 1990s with varying shares. Jayalalithaa died in a Chennai hospital in December 2016.
Given their relationship, sources say that Sasikala was questioned on her role in the Kodanad estate and information about the assets in the property. Last December, Sasikala’s nephew Vivek Jayaraman was also questioned in the case.