Kaithi No. 9234: Sasikala sleeps on floor, shares cell in Bengaluru prison

The AIADMK workers who lined up outside the prison waiting for Sasikala’s arrival from Chennai was far less than it was two years ago. Her request for a class 1 cell was turned down by a judge, forcing Sasikala to share the cell with another inmate. Her demands: designated space for meditating and round-the-clock medical assistance if required. A class 1 cell comes with privileges such as a television, home-cooked food and non-vegetarian meals twice a week. News channel NDTV reported that Sasikala chose tamarind rice with chutney from the breakfast menu Thursday morning and also “meditated for a few minutes”. A jail official told NDTV yesterday: “There will not be any special privileges for Sasikala. At the most she will be counseled so she can adjust to the jail.”

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Before surrendering before the court in Bengaluru, Sasikala’s plea seeking additional time was turned by a Supreme Court bench. Her counsel cited that the AIADMK chief needs additional time to manage her affairs before going to jail. She has however firmed her grip over the party as her relatives T T V Dinakaran and Venkatesh — who were thrown out by Jayalalithaa in 2011 — were re-inducted into AIADMK. Dinakaran was also appointed as the party’s deputy general secretary. He is likely to steer the party in Sasikala’s absence. Protesting against the move, former MLA Karuppasamy Pandian resigned from his position as Organising Secretaries of AIADMK.