Current affairs

VK Sasikala is hospitalized ahead of the release: What happened?

By alagu, 20 January, 2021
Tamilnadu, ADMK, Sasikala

Exactly seven days ahead of the release from the prison, VK Sasikala, who was the closest aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, has on Wednesday complained of health issues following which the Bengaluru Central Prison authorities had decided to admit her to the hospital for further treatments. 

According to reports, Sasikala has developed breathing difficulty in the prison and she also had shown symptoms of fever. Speaking to a news agency, Sasikala's advocate Raja Senthoor Pandian said, "We have received a message that Sasikala is unwell. She had developed a fever and has breathing issues. She will be shifted to a hospital and the prison authorities had said that her health condition is stable". 

The development has come a day after it was officially confirmed that she will be walking out of the prison on January 27, ahead of the crucial Tamil Nadu assembly polls. The reports say that she suffered breathing difficulty in the morning hours of Wednesday and the doctors at the prison complex rushed to her cell and responded to the unexpected setback in her health. The doctors monitored her health and a team of doctors from a Bengaluru hospital arrived in the prison to check her health condition. 

The prison authorities had asserted that she has been doing stable. However, she didn't respond to the treatments in the prison following which it was decided to take her to the hospital. Sasikala was boarded on the ambulance and the visuals from Bangalore had shown Sasikala was kept in a wheelchair as the medical team and prison authorities took her to Bowring Hospital in Bangalore for further treatment. The visuals were first pictures of the jailed leader after a year and the development had shocked her family members back in Tamil Nadu. 

Speaking to a news agency, Sasikala's advocate Raja Senthoor Pandian said that the prison authorities had informed him that Sasikala was suffering from a fever for the past one week and she also had developed cough and cold. Pandian further stated that the authorities said Sasikala's oxygen level was slightly decreased and asserted that she has been doing stable. 

The reports say that Sasikala would possibly undergo COVID-19 testing as she had shown positive symptoms for the viral infection and the hospital would be keeping her under observation. However, it is unclear when she would be getting discharged. The reports close to the developments said that the prison officials had decided to shift her to hospital after her oxygen saturation levels decreased. 

Sasikala has been serving a four-year prison sentence in Bengaluru Parappana Agrahara Central prison since February 2017 after getting convicted in the Disproportionate Assets case in which Jayalalithaa was the first accused. Along with Sasikala, the court had convicted her relatives Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran and each of them was imposed with a fine of Rs 10 crore. After the episodes of heated speculations and expectations over her early release, it has been confirmed that she will be getting released from prison on January 27. 

Her release comes close to the assembly polls which has drawn significant attention with the Tamil Nadu ruling ADMK preparing to brace up for the fresh disputes after her release amid hoping to win the elections. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had vowed that there is no possibility that Sasikala would join the ADMK party after her release and on Wednesday, the Chief Minister asserted that he will continue to rule the state even after her release.

As she is just seven days away from the release, she has been surfaced with speculations on her political resurgence. However, Sasikala will not be able to contest in elections for another six years as per section 8 of the Representation of the People's Act, 1958 which disqualifies a person if convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The ADMK party has on Tuesday, after the confirmation of Sasikala's release, announced that the party would be organizing the meet with the district secretaries on January 22 during which, the reports say, that the party would be discussing Sasikala's release. 

 

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