The Karnataka government has ordered an inquiry against two senior officials of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in Bengaluru for allegedly providing special treatment to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s aide V.K. Sasikala, who is serving a four-year sentence in a disproportionate assets case.
After accepting the recommendations of the Vinay Kumar committee, which was constituted to probe the charge of special treatment accorded to Ms. Sasikala, the government has issued an order (G.O. HD 62 PRE 2017 dated 26/2/2018) directing the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the accused. The then Deputy Inspector General of Police (Prisons), D. Roopa, had initially submitted a report stating that Ms. Sasikala had bribed top officials to avail of special treatment.
The government has directed the ACB to submit its report in three months.
Only a fortnight ago, the ACB had closed the case by stating that there was nothing cognisable in Ms. Roopa’s report. This came to light when the IPS officer filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to know the status of her report.
“I had given a detailed report to the ACB on the irregularities in prison along with CCTV footage. When I filed a petition under RTI Act seeking to know the status of my report, the ACB replied that the case had been closed since no cognizable offence was made out. Two days ago the Karnataka Government issued an order saying they have accepted Vijay Kumar Committee report and asked the ACB to register a case against the accused,” Ms. Roopa told The Hindu.
On the CCTV visuals showing Sasikala and her relative Ilavarasi entering the prison from the main gate in plain clothes, she said the Karnataka Prison Manual mandated all convicts to wear white uniform. Any violation would attract action including extending the term of sentence.
Ms. Roopa said the matter should have been investigated along with the complaint of one Muthumanickam, who made a specific allegation that he saw the convict outside the prison. “It was not my finding that they went out and stayed elsewhere etc, it is a complaint received from Muthumanickam and there is also this video showing them walking inside in plain clothes and shopping bags,” she said.
“I have given a detailed statement but they (ACB) would only investigate the corruption angle (and not the charge of the inmates entering the prison through the main gate)...I don’t know, maybe the prison authorities can take it up....Whether the ACB will limit itself to the exchange of money or probe the undue privileges extended to the convicts remains to be seen...they should look into every angle,” she said.
Asked about the government ordering an inquiry by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) against her on charges of violating conduct rules of the All India Services, Ms. Roopa said she was fully aware of the service rules. There were many Supreme Court rulings which stated that exposing maladministration in an organisation was not criticism of government. “So what I did was exposing corruption, it was not against the government...it was not criticism of the government. In 2014, new phrases were added to the All India Services Rules that a public servant should act in a manner accountable and transparent. So I have acted only as per that,” she contended.
