BENGALURU: Karnataka government has ordered the anti-corruption bureau to probe three senior officers of Parappana Agrahara jail, including a DG-rank retired officer regarding their alleged role in giving out special treatment to VK Sasikala. DIG of the prisons department D Roopa brought irregularities in the prison to light, in July last year, barely six months after Sasi entered the Bengaluru Central Jail. In a two-part report, she alleged that the aide of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was allowed a bigger accommodation, a television, a pressure cooker, and other basics in her barrack. Also, food was specially cooked for her.
Other facilities included freedom to wear her own clothes instead of prison uniform, free access to a specially-set-up meeting room where she could meet people, and leniency in the number of times she got to meet visitors. Former DGP (Prisons) H Satyanarayan Rao will be probed for possible offenses under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was transferred when the allegations first surfaced. Roopa too was transferred to a different department to enable a fair inquiry.
One of the biggest concerns in the jail was about dysfunctional CCTVs and tampered footage, compromised electronic gadgets like jammers, they will now be handed over to an external agency for annual maintenance contracts to ensure they are fully functional, not just in Bengaluru but all jails across the State. The state government has also asked ADG (Prisons) N S Megharikh to put together a revised prisons manual within three months in tune with the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Sasikala is in prison since February last year, along with her niece Ilavarasi and nephew VN Sudhakaran, both accused in the case.
