VK Sasikala is serving a four-year term in a corruption case in Bengaluru. (File)

Late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's aide VK Sasikala, serving a four-year term in a corruption case in Bengaluru, may be released from jail next January provided she paid the fine amount of Rs 10 crore, Karnataka Prison department has said.

VK Sasikala, lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Prison in Bengaluru, was convicted and sentenced in February 2017 in the Rs 66 crore disporportionate assets case.

"As per prison records, convict prisoner number 9234 Sasikala's 'probable date of release' is January 27, 2021, provided in-default fine amount is paid as awarded by the honourable court," Superintendent of Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara, R Latha said in response to an RTI query.

The reply was to the query by activist T Narasimha Murthy on September 11.

Ms Latha added Sasikala's "probable date of release" would be February 27, 2022 if the fine is not paid.

The officer explained the probable date of release may vary if Sasikala utilises a parole facility.

She will have to pay Rs 10 crore to walk out of prison on January 27, 2021, else spend another 13 months behind bars.

After the Supreme Court restored the trial court judgement against Sasikala and two of her close relatives in the disproportionate assets case, (VN Sudhakaran and J Elavarasi), she surrendered before the court in Karnataka on February 15, 2017 and has been lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail.

Her two relatives are also undergoing four years simple imprisonment and all three of them were slapped with a fine of Rs 10 crore each.

With the death of Jayalalithaa in 2016, who was the first accused in the case, the appeal by Karnataka against her stood abated.

Last week, Sasikala's counsel had expressed hope of her early release, possibly by the end of this month, citing remission for good conduct.

As per norms, three days of remission for good conduct is available for every month in jail and so far, she has completed 43 months, making her eligible for a reduction of 129 days in prison,

"The Karnataka Prison Manual does not have any provision barring remission to those convicted for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"As per the manual, I strongly believe that she will be released by the month end," her advocate N Raja Senthoor Pandian had said.

When the remission of 129 days is applied, the release will be during the month end and not the previously expected date of January 2021, he had said.

Sasikala has already spent a total of 35 days in jail in 1997 and 2014 and availed a 17 day parole in 2017, which is deducted from the period she already served, he had said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India has also exported HCQ to more than 140 countries, Harsh Vardhan said (File)

Re-purposed hydroxychloroquine is being used for mild but high risk and moderate COVID-19 cases, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

According to the data shared by the minister, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has increased the production of hydroxychloroquine manifold and the health ministry has issued 10.84 crore tablets of the drug to states and union territories as on September 11.

"India has also exported it (hydroxychloroquine) to more than 140 countries," Mr Vardhan said.

He also said there is a plan to conduct trial of ayurvedic medicines such as aswagandha, guduchi, pippali etc to prevent people from getting infected from COVID-19.

The minister said no specific antivirals have been proven effective so far and symptomatic treatment for fever and cough, appropriate rehydration, supplemental oxygen therapy remains the mainstay of treatment.

"We have re-purposed the drug hydroxychloroquine for mild (but high-risk cases) and for moderate cases. This was done with limited scientific evidence but well acknowledging that this drug has been used widely in India for other ailments where it is used for prolonged periods of time, with good safety profile," Mr Vardhan said.

The government has also made provisions for investigational therapies and has also been made for using Remdesivir, Convalescent plasma and Tocilizumab for managing severe cases under close medical supervision, he said.

There are thirteen clinical trials of repurposed drugs and harnessing of traditional knowledge using the modern medicine approach are building a portfolio of therapeutic options for COVID-19 patients.

Phase 2 clinical trial of immunomodulator Sepsivac has been completed successfully and clinical trial of the first-ever phytopharmaceutical ACQH is underway, the minister said.

"One prophylactic trial of Aswagandha and three trials of Guduchi + Pippali; Yashtimadhu; and polyherbal AYUSH drug (AYUSH-64) are planned on moderately ill Covid19 patients," he said.

The minister said that more than 30 vaccine candidates have been supported which are in different stages of development, 3 candidates are in advanced stage of Phase I, II and III trials and more than 4 are in advanced pre-clinical development stage in India.

Government action of nationwide lockdown, community involvement etc has prevented up to 38 thousand deaths and 29 lakh COVID-19 cases in the country, the minister said.

He said a total of 45,62,414 confirmed cases and 76,271 deaths have been reported in India out of which as many as 35,42,663 cases, 77.65 per cent of total, have recovered.

"The maximum cases and deaths have been primarily reported from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana, Odisha, Assam , Kerala & Gujarat. All these States have reported more than one lakh cases," Mr Vardhan said.

He said that government efforts have been able to limit its cases and deaths per million to 3,328 cases per 10 lakh and 55 deaths per 10 lakh population respectively, which is one of the lowest in the world as compared to similarly affected countries.

The minister informed Rajya Sabha that from a situation of a single laboratory equipped to undertake testing for COVID in January, presently 1705 laboratories are conducting COVID-19 Testing.

According to the minister, the COVID-19 test has reached 10 lakh tests a day which translates to 720 tests per 10 lakh population per day.

The central government has issued orders to purchase 60,948 ventilators to meet any contingencies and as on September 11, states have been allocated 32,109 ventilators of which 30,170 have been delivered.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)