Former TN CM Jayalalithaa's aide Sasikala granted bail in preferential treatment in prison case
Bengaluru, Mar 11: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalithaa's aide V K Sasikala and her sister-in-law J Ilavarasi were on Friday granted regular bail by a special court dealing with anti-corruption cases in connection with the alleged preferential treatment given to them during their jail term in the Bengaluru Central Jail in disproportionate assets case.
Along with them, the then assistant superintendent of Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara in the city and the prison security officer too appeared before the special judge K Lakshminarayana Bhat.
Sasikala and Ilavarasi were ordered to pay a bond of Rs three lakh, and will have to appear again on April 16.
The then Chief Superintendent and the Superintendent of the Central jail, who too are accused in this case, have got a stay from the Karnataka High Court against the ACB inquiry, sources said.
The case relates to the alleged preferential treatment to Sasikala during her stay in the Bengaluru jail in connection with a disproportionate assets case.
In 2017, the then Deputy Inspector General of Police (Prison) D Roopa had claimed that Sasikala was given preferential treatment and she was allowed to wear civil dress instead of the clothes prescribed for prisoners.
An inquiry conducted by a retired IAS officer on the directions of the state government reportedly revealed that a separate kitchen functioned for her inside the jail.
The Karnataka government had sanctioned the prosecution of accused people on December 30 last year, and the charge sheet was filed before the special court on January seven this year.
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Deputy CM Shivakumar fumes at Minister Jarkiholi for his statement on replacing KPCC prez
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday hit out at Minister Satish Jarkiholi for his statement on replacing him as the party's state president.
Shivakumar has been serving as Congress state chief since 2020.
"Can anyone get it (post) in the media? You can't get it in the media or any shop. It is given as a reward for the work we do. Will the media gift it to you. These are new trends," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Jarkiholi on Wednesday sparked a debate within the ruling Congress over the change of the state president, saying a full-time leader was needed to devote more time to the party in the state.
According to him, while there is a lot of discussion happening at the lower levels, it should come from the top.
Later, he clarified that he never spoke about replacing Shivakumar as the Congress president.
Taking a U-turn from his statement apparently after a rap from the party high command, the minister on late Wednesday blamed the media for twisting his statement.
"The reports that appeared in the media are far from truth. Some media reports were made to look grandiose," Jarkiholi, who holds public works portfolio, said in a video statement on his Facebook page.
"I never spoke about replacing D K Shivakumar. I only gave some suggestions keeping in view the party organisation and upcoming elections," he added.
He said such statement should have come from the top, but it came from the ground level, to which he belongs.
Meanwhile, the Congress state working president Manjunath Bhandary on Thursday asked seniors to refrain from making such statements.
The seniors who violate the high command's orders are not disciplined soldiers of the Congress, Bhandary said in a statement.
According to him, the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi are strong in the party.
"The party high command leaders will decide all matters such as when to change the KPCC president and the chief minister, who should continue or who should be the ministers. However, no minister should give a statement in this regard," Bhandary said.
The decision on leadership change should not be discussed with the media. There is a high command in the party. If there are any issues, the party leaders should first bring them to the attention of the high command and not before the media, the Congress working president said.
He added that the high command has sought a report of those who have made such statements.
