Sasi can walk free in Jan 2021 if she pays ₹10crore fine: K’Taka -

Sasi can walk free in Jan 2021 if she pays ₹10crore fine: K’Taka - 

The Times Of India

Rajiv.Kalkod@timesgroup.com

Former AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala will be released from the Central Prison, Bengaluru, on January 27, 2021if she pays the fine of ₹10 crore slapped on her. Her simple imprisonment could be extended by a year if she fails to pay, jail officials stated in a reply to an RTI query.

Prison officials told TOI that convicts imprisoned for financial frauds and cheating cases are not eligible for either leaves or premature release for good conduct. Generally, 84 days in a year are counted as leave days and the same is deducted from the convicts’ jail term while releasing them.

Sasikala, her nephew VN Sudhakaran and sister-inlaw J Ilavarasi have been lodged in the prison since February 15, 2017, after the Supreme Court set aside their acquittal by the Karnataka high court in the disproportionate assets case, and awarded imprisonment for four years each besides a fine of ₹10 crore each.

Bengaluru-based RTI activist T Narasimhamurthy had sought details about the release dates.

“As per the records, the probable release date of Sasikala (convict number 9234) is January 27, 2021 if the fine amount is paid. The release would be on February 27, 2022 if the fine is not paid. The date may vary if she utilises parole facility,” reads the RTI reply.

According to the prison manual, parole days are considered extra and convicts availing themselves of parole will have to stay for that many more days inside.

“Sasikala has till now used 18 days of parole. The first parole, for eight days, was granted on October 6, 2017 when her husband fell ill and she travelled to Tamil Nadu. The next was on March 20, 2018 when her husband passed away in Chennai. Sasikala had taken 10 days to attend the funeral and other rituals. We’ve added those 18 days to her prison term and the probable release dates would be either January 27, 2021 or February 27, 2022,” prison officials said.

Former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who was the prime accused in the case, was convicted, sentenced to four-year jail term and fined ₹100 crore by a trial court.

While the Supreme Court was still seized of the appeal against her acquittal by the Karnataka high court, Jayalalithaa died, prompting the Supreme Court to hold that charges against her would abate.

VK Sasikala’s simple imprisonment could be extended by a year if she fails to pay the fine of ₹10 crore slapped on her, jail officials said in a reply to an RTI