A public interest litigation writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court for a direction to the Karnataka government to shift former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, convicted and sentenced to undergo a four-year imprisonment, from the Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara in Bangalore to the Central Prison, Chennai.
The PIL plea has been filed by Varaaki, a journalist with the Indian Reporter magazine. In his petition, Mr. Varaaki said the transfer of the trial from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka had a specific purpose, to see that it was conducted in a fair and transparent way. As this purpose was no longer there it was not necessary to keep the convicts in Karnataka.
The detention of Ms. Jayalalithaa in Karnataka was causing serious harm to public order, peace and human life in both the States. He said the transfer of a prisoner was permissible under Section 3 of the Transfer of Prisoners Act 1950, and prayed for a direction to shift Ms. Jayalalithaa.
Meanwhile, civil rights activist Traffic K.R. Ramaswami has moved the Supreme Court for a direction to the authorities to initiate action against the Tamil Nadu government and AIADMK party functionaries for organising dharnas, agitations and causing destruction of public property.
