Sasikala bribe gate: DIG Roopa pays second visit to Bangalore prison, submits fresh report

Deputy inspector general (prisons) D Roopa, who recently exposed alleged corrupt activities in jail, paid a second visit to the central prison in Bangalore, where AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala is serving her sentence.  She has reportedly submitted her second report to DGP (Prisons) HN Sathyanarayana Rao on Saturday.

In the report, she has highlighted the state of affairs pertaining to maintenance of the central prison, and alleged that crucial CCTV recordings of VIP treatment to AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, who is serving a sentence, appear to have gone missing, a police source said.

"There are only two CCTV cameras in the visitors' gallery. Camera number 8 and 9 fitted near the admission room have no recording facility. Sasikala was given a separate room with chair and tables so she can conveniently talk to her visitors. We had recorded all these on camera but it looks like they are deleted now," reads the report, reports an English daily.

Read | AIADMK leader Sasikala paid bribe to get VIP treatment in Karnataka jail, claims DIG (Prisons)

Mayhem in Bangalore jail

According to Newsnation sources, when DIG reached the jail, Superident Krishna Kumar was not on the premises. When she sought to listen to grievances of the prisoners, all hell broke loose. At least 800 odd inmates tried to get her attention. Soon the Superident rushed back to prison, the prisoner who came back with him picked a fight with those sharing problems with DIG. The tension escalated to the extent that she had to leave the jail premises in a hurry. 

Roopa has been in the spotlight after she pointed to speculation about jail officials, including her senior, DGP Sathyanarayana Rao, having received a bribe of Rs 2 crore to provide special treatment to Sasikala. She had exposed several lapses in the prison's administration, which were, however, denied by Rao and the jail officials.

Karnataka Govt notice to DIG 

The Karnataka government on Friday served a notice on a top police officer for going to the media on her controversial report on alleged special treatment injail to AIADMK (Amma) leader V K Sasikala, even as she stood her ground, asserting she had not violated any conduct rules.

As the report by DIG (Prisons) D Roopa erupted into a major controversy, a red-faced government asked her to explain her conduct, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying it was "absolutely against the rule book."

"It is inappropriate on her part to share details with the media," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru, expressing open displeasure over the public comments by Roopa, whose report has also brought her superior and other prison officials under a cloud of bribery allegations.

Siddaramaiah said she could have approached any of her superiors about her charges against senior officials and that her allegations before the mainstream and social media has brought embarrassment to the police department.

Roopa has been asked to give a reply to the notice served on her, the chief minister said.

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