After four years, ex-AIADMK leader Sasikala released from jail

Bengaluru, January 27: After spending four years in jail in a corruption case, the close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala has been released from prison Parappana Agrahara, on Wednesday.

 

The procedures for her release were done at the Victoria Hospital, where she is presently undergoing treatment for COVID-19 infection. She was tested coronavirus positive last week.

  

According to the hospital's Medical Superintendent, she will be kept in the hospital for four to five days and will not be shifted to a private hospital as of now. A huge crowd of Sasikala supporters lined up outside the Victoria Hospital, raising slogans in her favor and distributed sweets in celebration.

 

It should be noted that she was in the Central Jail in Parappana Agrahara here for four years since February 2017 in connection with the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

 

During Jayalalithaa's three tenures as Chief Minister, Sasikala was alleged to have laundered huge amounts of wealth amassed by Jayalalitha. On 14 February 2017, a two-bench Supreme Court jury pronounced her guilty and ordered her immediate arrest in a disproportionate-assets case, effectively ending her chief ministerial ambitions.

 

Sasikala completed 4 years in the prison with her sister-in-law J flavors and Jayalalitha's foster son VN Sudhakaran. In the disproportionate case, Sashikala was ordered to pay a fine of Rs 10 crore. The amount was deposited in Bengaluru court this week.

 

The ex-AIADMK leader's release comes on a day when the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurates a ₹ 79 crore memorial Jayalalithaa along Chennai's Marina Beach.