VK Sasikala meets, greets cadre in Chennai on way back to Bengaluru prison

Chennai: Sacked AIADMK interim general secretary V.K. Sasikala was back at the Parapana Agrahara Prison in Bengaluru on Thursday evening after her 5-day parole ended.

Sasikala was granted parole from October 7 to October 11 by jail authorities to meet her husband M. Natarajan, who underwent liver and kidney transplant last week at the Gleneagles Global Health City in Chennai. She met her husband at the hospital every day during the parole period.

The aide of the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa left Chennai for Bengaluru in her luxurious SUV at 8.56 am, the auspicious time chosen by her family, on Thursday from the T. Nagar residence of her niece Krishna Priya. Sasikala’s car had to halt at several places in Chennai and elsewhere along the 350-km route as several cadres had lined up to greet and wish her.

Sasikala’s convoy travelled through Kancheepuram, Vellore, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts before reaching Bengaluru via Hosur at 4.30 PM. Sources said the condition was that Sasikala should report to the jail authorities by 5 pm on Thursday. She is currently serving a 4-year term in the disproportionate assets (DA) case.

During her five-day parole, Sasikala went to the hospital daily, but refrained from meeting any party leader as authorities had imposed strict conditions not to do so.

Several party leaders and cadre waited outside the T. Nagar residence where Sasikala stayed for five days to take a glimpse of their leader who just reciprocated their wishes from her vehicle. On Tuesday, she named two newborn babies– Jayalalithaa and Jayakumar– when their parents requested her to do so.

Sasikala’s visit came at a time when her nephew and sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran and the ruling camp led by Palaniswami and deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam are fighting it out to get the two leaves symbol.