Allegations baseless: Accused cop on 'VIP care' given to Sasikala in jail

Bengaluru: Director General (Prisons) H N Satyanarayana Rao on Thursday categorically denied all the allegations levelled by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) (Prisons) D Roopa in her report regarding former AIADMK general secretary V Sasikala getting VIP treatment in Parappana Agrahara central prison.

"If she had doubts, she should have first come to me and talked about it. Instead, she went to the media. Whatever she has written in the letter is false," Rao said in a press conference here.

Elucidating on why he had asked for an explanation from her for visiting the jail, Rao said that he said he had sent her two memos - one for not showing photos publicly as it leads to disruption in the working of prison, and the second for going to the jail instead of attending the Chief Minister's event.

There was no immediate clarity on which were the photos being referred to by Rao.

Also responding to the Rs 2 crore bribery charge, Rao stated that he had not made any changes in the laws.

"We have not made any changes to who can go and meet. No relaxation in the laws at all," he clarified.

"I only gave her (Roopa) authorisation to visit the jail. If I had anything to hide, I would not have allowed her," he pointed out. Rao further said they would take action against Roopa.

Roopa, on the the hand, pitched for a fact finding enquiry to check if her report's authenticity. "Let there be an inquiry on what is happening there," she said.

"When I see something but don't report, it is a lapse on my part. I just reported," She also added

On being questioned on her work and the claim that she has not fulfilled her duty properly, Roopa said she was on a government-sanctioned leave.

"I was on a government-sanctioned leave and when I came back, I found this," she said.

Earlier, a report by (DIG) (Prisons) D Roopa asserted that a bribe worth Rs 2 crore was given to the prison officials, including the DG (Prisons) in order to avail special facilities.

Roopa, in a report to Director General (Prisons) H.N. Satyanarayana Rao, had said there are speculations that Sasikala paid a bribe to prison officials to get special facilities for herself with rumours of the DG being a beneficiary himself.

The letter, apart from the information about Sasikala, also talks about many other illegal instances inside the prison.