Chennai: Former Tamilnadu Chief Minister J Jayalaithaa’s close aide V K Sasikala has requested the Karantaka Prisons department not to reveal anything about her prison time and release date to third persons.
The request was made as these details were given to ‘third persons’ through the Right to Information Act. Bengaluru-based social activist T Narasimamurthy filed an RTI query seeking details of her release in August to which the prison department has given its reply.
Sasikala was convicted and sentenced to four year jail term in the disproportionate assets case in 2017, might be released from prison on 27 January next year, provided she paid the fine imposed on her.
However, if she did not pay the fine, she would undergo another one year imprisonment. Confirming this in response to a plea made under the RTI Act, Public Information Officer Bangalore Central Prison Superintendent R Latha said as per prison records convict prisoner number 9234 Sasikala’s ‘probable date of release’ is 27 January, 2021, provided in-default fine amount is paid as awarded by the court’.
“Further, her ‘probable date of release’ would be 27 February, 2022, if the fine is not paid. Subseqeuntly, probable date of release may vary if she utilises parole facility”, Latha said.
Sasikala was lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central prison in Bengaluru since 15 February, 2017 after the Supreme Court set aside the High Court order acquitting her and upheld the trail court order convicting her to four years hail term in the disproportionate assets case, in which the late leader Jayalalithaa, was also involved.
Apart from the four year jail term, the court also directed Sasikala to pay a fine of Rs 10 crore.