V. Sudhakaran admitted to prison hospital

TN ministers meet Jayalalithaa; Sheela Balakrishnan denied permission

V. Sudhakaran, one of the three persons sentenced along with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday, was admitted to the hospital in the prison here this morning.

After he complained of unease during breakfast, Mr. Sudhakaran was taken to the hospital. Doctors there administered him IV fluids, sources in the Prison Department said.

All four sentenced by the Special Court in the disproportionate assets case – Ms. Jayalalithaa’s friend Sasikala and her relative J. Elavarasi being the other two – have been lodged in the Parappana Agrahara prison.

Ms. Jayalalithaa, according to sources, had a morning walk and read newspapers before her aide Veera Perumal brought her breakfast from outside. Ms. Sasikala and Ms. Elavarasi had pulav served for breakfast.

Ministers meet Jayalalithaa

Four Cabinet rank Ministers led by O. Panneerselvam, who holds the Finance portfolio, met Ms. Jayalalitha early in the morning. They had obtained special permission from the authorities, the sources said.

Security officials at the prison, however, refused to allow them to carry a wired chair, which the Ministers had brought in their vehicle for her as she suffers from back ache.

Advisor and former Chief Secretary to Tamil Nadu government Sheela Balakrishnan, however, was denied permission when she went to Parappana Agrahara to meet Ms. Jayalalithaa.

Police chase away AIADMK cadre

Meanwhile, over 50 supporters of the AIADMK supremo came to the central jail seeking permission from the prison authorities to meet their leader.

They raised slogans and insisted on meeting Ms. Jayalalithaa. They were cries of ‘Amma venum’, but the group was stopped at the entrance. A little later, police chased away the crowd using mild force and brought the situation under control.

On Saturday, the three-time Chief Minister was sentenced to four years’ simple imprisonment and a Rs.100-crore fine was imposed on her for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The three co-accused were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 10 crore each.