Special Facilities In Bengaluru Prison: Chargesheet Filed Against VK Sasikala

In the chargesheet, the prison authorities Krishna Kumar and Anitha have been arraigned as accused 1 and 2 respectively.

VK Sasikala | Credit: PTI

Chennai: The Anti-Corruption Bureau of Bengaluru has filed a chargesheet against VK Sasikala, an aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, and two other senior prison officials in connection with the illegal special facilities and preferential treatment provided while the former AIADMK leader was lodged in the Central prison of Bengaluru. Sasikala was serving the sentence for a graft case against Jayalalithaa. 

A bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Suraj Govindaraj on Wednesday were hearing a petition filed by a 65-year-old social worker KS Gita when a submission about the chargesheet was made before the bench, reports The Hindu. 

ACB counsel Manmohan PN made a mention to the bench that the chargesheet was filed on January 7, 2022. The chargesheet was filed based on the acceptance to the state government to prosecute two senior prison officials Krishna Kumar and Anitha Rs on December 30, 2021. 

The issue pertains to the time when VK Sasikala was in prison along with her sister-in-law Ilavarasi, both of them serving their sentence in the disproportionate assets case. During the period, Chief Superintendent Krishna Kumar and Superintendent Anitha of the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bengaluru have been accused of allegedly providing additional illegal facilities to the former AIADMK leader and her kin. 

In the chargesheet, Krishna Kumar and Anitha have been arraigned as accused 1 and 2 respectively. Two other people associated with the prison B Suresh and Gajaraja have been arraigned as accused 3 and 4. Sasikala and Ilavarasi have been arraigned as accused 5 and 6 respectively. 

The charges have been registered under sections including forgery, criminal conspiracy, abetment of Indian Penal Code and sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.