HC not to meddle with PIL seeking shifting Sasikala to Tumakuru jail

 The Karnataka High Court on Monday refused to interfere in a PIL seeking directions to shift AIADMK general secretary Sasikala Natarajan and her aide Illavarasi from Bengaluru Central Prisons at Parappana Agrahara here to the Tumakuru prison, exclusively meant for women.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar, while  dismissing the PIL, said that they will not be able to restrain anyone from meeting prisoners at the prison.

The government counsel submitted that the jail authorities are following the Karnataka Prison Manual,1978.

The petitioners have contended that four Tamil Nadu ministers, Sengottaiyan, Minister of Education, Kamaraj, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, C Srinivasan,  Minister for Forests and Sellur K Raju, Minister for Co-operation, Statistics and Ex-servicemen Welfare have been visiting Sasikala en masse and receiving instructions from her. The petitioners have contended that the current Tamil Nadu government is run indirectly by them.

 The petitioners have said that the present prison where Sasikala is housed is very close to Hosur in Tamil Nadu, which makes it easier for the ministers and others from Chennai to visit her frequently. The petitioners have also sought directions to restrain any ministers from visiting Sasikala. 

Sasikala has been lodged at the Bengaluru Central Prisons after she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case by the Supreme Court in February.