AIADMK (Amma) Deputy General Secretary T T V Dhinakaran on Thursday dismissed allegations of special treatment for his aunt and party chief VK Sasikala in prison, asserting that she was being treated as per rules.
In his first reaction since the allegations surfaced, Dhinakaran rubbished claims of payment of bribe for the alleged special treatment.
Speaking to reporters here, he said such allegations were false, adding “we have not even met the DGP (Karnataka).”
He said the Supreme Court had only awarded simple imprisonment to Sasikala. Hence, permission to wear personal clothing (rather than one meant for convicts) was as per rules and jail manual and similar to treatment accorded to other prison inmates, he claimed.
Seeking to explain further, Dhinakaran said when he was recently incarcerated in Tihar jail, he had a fan, a television and newspapers and these were given as per norms with the permission of authorities.
He said some television channels were making false claims in this regard by airing some visuals, adding that his party would be forced to initiate defamation proceedings against them.
“Our enemies” are seeking to politicise allegations made by a Karnataka official and jail inmates are “being unnecessarily dragged” into the controversy, he said.
Quoting a Tamil proverb that says people who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear, he said no irregularities happened at the prison.
He said he a proper inquiry would be held into the matter, adding that “Congress party is not our coalition partner.”
On Karnataka BJP staging a protest on the issue, Dhinakaran said it was simply state politics with the ruling Congress party.
BJP's Karnataka unit today slammed the Karnataka government over transfer of DIG (Prisons) D Roopa after she brought to light the alleged special treatment meted out Sasikala.
Dhinakaran said, he will meet Sasikala at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail tomorrow.
Yesterday, AIADMK (Amma) Karnataka unit secretary V Pugazhenthi had dismissed allegations of Sasikala being accorded special treatment in the jail. He had said the only thing that she was provided in the prison was a bench to lie down and that too on a written request.
The Karnataka government has appointed retired IAS officer Vinay Kumar to probe the alleged special treatment meted out to Sasikala and other “erroneous” practises in the jail.
He was appointed after Roopa, shunted out as DIG (Prisons) on Monday, highlighted in a report the alleged special privileges given to Sasikala and others inside the Parapana Agrahara Central Jail.
The government had asked DGP (Prisons) H N Sathyanarayana Rao to go on compulsory leave after both officers sparred over the report in public.
The government also shifted Bengaluru central jail chief superintendent Krishna Kumar, who had also been blamed in the report by Roopa for alleged illegal activities in the prison.
In a report submitted on July 12 to Rao, Roopa had said there was “talk” that Rs two crore had exchanged hands to give preferential treatment to Sasikala and there were allegations against him too.
Rao had rubbished the charges as “absolutely false, baseless and wild.”