<p>AIADMK chief V K Sasikala, lodged at Parappana Agrahara central prison in the city, has met visitors 12 times a month, reportedly in violation of prison rules. Sasikala has been convicted in a disproportionate assets case.<br /><br />According to information made available by the prison authorities in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, Sasikala met the visitors between February 16 and March 18. Her relatives and co-convicts in the case, Ilavarasi and V N Sudhakaran, met visitors four times and once respectively during the same period. Sasikala’s visitors include lawyers, her nephews T T V Dinakaran and Vivek J and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai. <br /><br />Activist Narasimha Murthy, who had filed the RTI application, claimed that Sasikala had been allowed to meet visitors in violation of prison rules.<br /><br />Undertrials and convicts are entitled to meet visitors as per the Karnataka Prison Manual and Karnataka Prison Rules. The rules state that undertrials are eligible for one such meeting a week with their relatives, friends and lawyers, while convicts can have visitors once in 15 days. <br /><br />While the jail authorities were unavailable for comments, reports quoting prison officials suggest that the jailer can use discretion in this regard.<br /><br />Sasikala was sent to jail on February15 after she surrendered before a trial court in Bengaluru, a day after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. <br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>AIADMK chief V K Sasikala, lodged at Parappana Agrahara central prison in the city, has met visitors 12 times a month, reportedly in violation of prison rules. Sasikala has been convicted in a disproportionate assets case.<br /><br />According to information made available by the prison authorities in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, Sasikala met the visitors between February 16 and March 18. Her relatives and co-convicts in the case, Ilavarasi and V N Sudhakaran, met visitors four times and once respectively during the same period. Sasikala’s visitors include lawyers, her nephews T T V Dinakaran and Vivek J and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambidurai. <br /><br />Activist Narasimha Murthy, who had filed the RTI application, claimed that Sasikala had been allowed to meet visitors in violation of prison rules.<br /><br />Undertrials and convicts are entitled to meet visitors as per the Karnataka Prison Manual and Karnataka Prison Rules. The rules state that undertrials are eligible for one such meeting a week with their relatives, friends and lawyers, while convicts can have visitors once in 15 days. <br /><br />While the jail authorities were unavailable for comments, reports quoting prison officials suggest that the jailer can use discretion in this regard.<br /><br />Sasikala was sent to jail on February15 after she surrendered before a trial court in Bengaluru, a day after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. <br /><br /><br /></p>