Cars ferrying TN MLAs attacked near central jail

Tension prevailed outside the barricaded area of Central Prisons at Parappana Agrahara when people, claiming to be supporters of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa, attacked vehicles carrying MLAs from Tamil Nadu.

Protesters who had gathered along the roadside leading to the central prisons hurled abuses at Sasikala accusing her of killing Jayalalithaa.

After Sasikala’s convoy went past the double road, the mob pelted the government vehicles ferrying MLAs, with stones and slippers. Some protesters smashed the windshields of at least five cars and hurled abuses at MLAs.

They objected to MLAs using government vehicles to travel from Chennai to Bengaluru. Some protesters abused MLAs for supporting Sasikala. One of the AIADMK leaders tried to pacify the crowd by saying they were just following orders of the party senior leaders. However, the mob continued to attack the vehicles with stones and helmets.

When the situation turned violent, the police resorted to caning to disperse the crowd. The agitating mob accused the AIADMK leaders of misleading the people of Tamil Nadu.

A senior police official said the identity of the protesters could not be established. “They could be frenzied mobs including some local Tamil-speaking people. The situation was tense only for about 15 minutes as the crowd was dispersed,” he said.

The city police had made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth passage of Sasikala's convoy. Traffic police were deployed from the Naganathapura junction, the entry point of Bengaluru city police jurisdiction. The police stopped movement of vehicles to ensure hassle-free movement of around 15 vehicles that had accompanied Sasikala’s car.

Sasikala, who sat next to the driver like her mentor J Jayalalithaa used to, waved to people on her way to the prison. The vehicle (registration TN09BE5969), a few AIADMK leaders said, was the one used by Jayalalithaa. Her supporters shouted slogans “Chinnamma valga” (long live Chinnamma). Media vehicles were stopped at the junction leading to the central prisons. However, a crew of Jaya TV went along with Sasikala's convoy.

Local people around Parappana Agrahara had gathered to get a glimpse of the convict. Sasikala’s husband V N Natarajan had arrived at the court half an hour before she arrived and left soon after she was sent into the prison.
DH News Service

State to seek costs
Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the state government will soon write to chief secretary of Tamil Nadu to reimburse the expense incurred for conducting the trial of former Tamil Nadu chief minister late Jayalalithaaa, V K Sasikala and others in the disproportionate assets case in Bengaluru. “The total cost may run up to several crores,”he said.