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Body Massages For Telgi, Kitchen For Sasikala — Karnataka's Top Cops Clash Over Damning Jail Report

Body Massages For Telgi, Kitchen For Sasikala — Karnataka's Top Cops Clash Over Damning Jail Report
ANI

Karnataka's Director General of Prisons H. Satyanarayana Rao on Thursday denied charges by a woman police officer that he had taken money to provide special facilities to jailed AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala.

DIG (Prisons) Rupa Moudgil alleged that Sasikala was getting VIP treatment with a makeshift kitchen in her cell in the Parappana Agrahara Jail, with another inmate preparing food for her.

Moudgil levelled the charges in a report to the Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary. Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra has promised to launch a probe and take action, if necessary.

Rao said the allegations were false.

"There is no facility given to Sasikala. She is an ordinary prisoner. No undue favours have been given to her," he said.

He said if Moudgil had come to know about the so-called special facilities, she could have discussed it with him. "But to go and discuss it in the open without evidence is wrong."

Rao said in the past he had given memos to her on two occasions when she had gone public on some issues. Maintaining her charge, Moudgil demanded a fact-finding probe into what she had said. "There are facts in the report (sent by me)."

AIADMK spokesperson C.R. Saraswathi said Sasikala had been dragged into a fight between two officials because she was a VIP and an accusation against an ordinary person would not attract attention.

"As unfortunately these allegations are also against you, it is requested that you look into the matter and take merciless disciplinary action against erroneous officials," the report signed by Rupa said.

Sasikala is lodged at the Parappana Agrahara central prison here ever since her conviction in February in the disproportionate assets case along with her two relatives VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, all serving a four year jail term.

Undertrial prisoners in his cell are allegedly being used to do his personal work like pressing his shoulders, arms and legs.

In the report, she has also mentioned about the "preferential" treatment being provided to fake stamp paper scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi in the prison. Undertrial prisoners in his cell are allegedly being used to do his personal work like pressing his shoulders, arms and legs.

Noting that six months ago there was a court direction to provide Telgi with assistants as he was using a wheelchair, the DIG in her report said though now he was dependent on it and was walking properly, three to four undertrials are still allowed in his cell to do his work.

"I think you too might have seen this on the CCTV installed in your chamber. Allowing undertrials with convicts like Telgi is against the prison rules. Despite knowing this, the superintendent of the jail has not taken any action," she said.

"Instead of attending chief minister's meeting she has gone to prison...who has authorised her. She had to attend the meeting. Instead of giving reply to the memos she has come out with this (allegation)," Rao said. "Why would I skip CM's meeting, it's a privilege to attend. I have not been asked to attend," she responded.

Asked if he suspected any conspiracy against him, Rao said, "Maybe, there is some conspiracy. I do not know." She said during her visit, she conducted drug tests on 25 inmates using drugs test kit and "shockingly" 18 of them turned out to be positive as per doctors.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.