Yeddyurappa's first day in jail

Authorities arrange for a 20X14 feet cell in the cellar of the prisons D Block

Yeddyurappa was brought to the prison around 6 pm. Surprisingly, the prison authorities let him in through the first gate, instead of the main gate. Tight security arrangements were made around the prison with the City police setting up barricades about 500 metres away from the place.

A while before the former chief minister was let in, police stopped vehicles from plying on the road that passes through the prison. Quite a few supporters of the former CM thronged the place. They were, however, not allowed beyond the barricades.

Health worsens

Malur legislator S N Krishnaiah Setty was brought to the prison around 4 pm. As his health had worsened at the court, he was immediately taken to the health centre in the prison where doctors attended on him. Before Yeddyurappa arrived, Prison Minister A Narayanaswamy oversaw arrangements at the jail and left before the former CM made an entry.

Contrary to his postures in the Lokayukta court, the 68-year-old leader looked upset as he was brought to the prison. His blood pressure levels also rose at the time. Consequently, he was not lodged in the cell straightaway.

The prison authorities arranged for a 20X14 feet cell in the cellar of the prison’s ‘D’ Block. The cell has a kitchen, an attached bathroom, and a television set. A prisoner has also been assigned to serve the former chief minister. The details on food being provided to Yeddyurappa were not available, although there were speculations that he would be served home-made fare.

Court direction

As directed by the court, a doctor attended to Yeddyurappa and examined his condition. According to KR Puram MLA, N S Nandeesh Reddy who tried unsuccessfully to meet Yeddyurappa in jail, the former CM could be shifted to a hospital if the doctor felt so. BJP’s Chief Whip D N Jeevaraj, former Minister Hartal Halappa, MLAs M Chandrappa, B Suresh Gowda, and Belur Gopalakrishna also tried in vain to meet Yeddyurappa.

But Harihar MLA B P Harish said that he could meet the former CM for a short while. When asked about Yeddyurappa’s condition, he claimed that he looked “amiable” and didn’t seem upset.

Proclamation

Harish also said that Yeddyurappa would “come out unscathed with his honour fully intact”. When asked about a proclamation Yeddyurappa made a few months ago that he could come to power in six months, Harish said that they looked up to the judiciary.
Yeddyurappa’s former political adviser BJ Puttaswamy saw a “conspiracy” in the former CM being jailed.