Sidelined AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala was released on emergency parole on Friday. Sasikala, who is serving her four-year sentence in the Jayalalithaa Disproportionate Assets case, has been granted a 6-day parole by Bengaluru Jail authorities to visit her ailing husband M Natarajan.
Her nephew TTV Dhinakaran reached the Bengaluru Central Jail on Friday morning to take Sasikala to Chennai.
While Sasikala had applied for 15-day parole earlier this week, her first application was rejected on technical grounds as medical documents belonging to Natarajan had not been certified by a gazetted officer. Following this, Sasikala applied for emergency parole on Wednesday with the required documents.
A No-objection was received from the Chennai Police Commissioner on Friday morning, who has imposed certain conditions on her parole. Following this Bengaluru Jail authorities considered her application.
As per the jail manual, a surety amount of Rs 1000 has been furnished with Rajya Sabha MP Navaneethakrishnan giving surety.
According to the parole application, Sasikala will reside at 181 Habibullah road, T Nagar during her parole.
The parole has four conditions:
1. During emergency parole, she is restricted only to visit the hospital where her husband is admitted, and stay at the residence as mentioned in her application.
2. During emergency parole period, she is not supposed to entertain any visitors either at her residence or at the hospital.
3. During emergency parole period, she is not supposed to involve in political or any other public activities, and cannot take part in party activities.
4. She should not interact with any media, press or electronic.
Parole conditions for Sasikala. #SasikalaParole pic.twitter.com/AvtedvPoJQ
— Anna Isaac (@anna_isaac) October 6, 2017
Sasikala's lawyer says she has to return to Parappana Agrahara jail by 4:30pm on October 12.
— Anna Isaac (@anna_isaac) October 6, 2017
Speaking to Puthiya Thalaimurai, Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran supporter, and AIADMK's Karnataka unit leader Pugazhendi said, "She is being given parole only for the purpose of meeting her husband. She can't appear for political activities, or hold political meetings. We haven't asked for permission for her to meet anyone else, and jail authorites also haven't said anything either."
Sasikala's estranged husband Natarajan underwent a dual organ transplantation at Gleneagles Global Hospital in Chennai on Wednesday. He is reportedly recovering following the transplantation.
Natarajan has been receiving treatment for the past nine months for liver failure. A bulletin put out by the hospital on Monday night states that his condition was critical, with worsening liver and kidney failure. He had been on the waitlist for a transplant since April.
Though Sasikala's parole conditions may not allow her to meet visitors, her presence in Chennai has the potential to change the political scenario. Many AIADMK leaders have declared that they will go meet her in Chennai.