After her five-day parole, the deposed interim general secretary of the AIADMK V.K. Sasikala left for the Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru by car on Thursday morning.
During her stay in the city, neither party MLAs nor any of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s Cabinet colleagues, including Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, met Sasikala.
Sasikala has been serving a prison term along with her relatives – J. Elavarasi and V.N.Sudhakaran – from February this year after the Supreme Court held her guilty in the disproportionate assets case.
She came out on parole last week after her husband underwent a liver and kidney transplant surgery at the hospital.
C.R. Saraswathi, a Dhinakaran camp loyalist and a party functionary said, “We are not able to interact with Chinnamma (Sasikala) since the prison authorities had imposed strict conditions. She has been spending time with her relatives and family members. When she went past us in her car, she smiled and enquired about our health. Then she left.”
Thanga Tamilselvan, MLA (who has now been disqualfied), a staunch supporter of Mr. Dhinakaran, said: “Four or five Ministers are in touch with us. No one was able to meet her since the State government has imposed strict restrictions. The prison authorities have not imposed such conditions.”
On Thursday morning, as she left for Bengaluru, Sasikala’s relatives gave her a tearful send-off . Just like her friend the former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, she sat in the luxury car with the lights focused on her face even as cadre showered flower petals and broke pumpkins before the vehicle to ward off the evil spirit. The cadre also raised the slogan Thiaga Thalaivi (A leader who is a martyr).
With some relatives following Sasikala’s car, traffic was blocked on the North Usman Road. She reached the Parappana Agrahara prison at around 4.35 p.m.Mr. Dhinakaran and Sasikala’s advocate Krishnappan accompanied her to the prison office to complete the formalities.