Bengaluru: V.K. Sasikala, prisoner No. 9243, does not have to undergo any skilled training or involve herself with vocational work in Bangalore’s Central Prison because she has been sentenced to simple imprisonment by the Supreme Court, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told this newspaper.
Amid speculation that Ms Sasikala managed to bring a television into her room and upgrade her cell to “Class A” and get a cot — all of which has been denied by prison authorities — the person said that while “vocational and skill-based work is mandatory for convicts sentenced to rigorous imprisonment, prison officials cannot force a convict serving simple imprisonment to do any kind of work”.
“It is up to her to keep herself occupied. The prison library is available for convicts and she can make use of the facility,” the person said.
Ms Saskilaka’s relative, Ilavarasi, has been provided with a cot on medical grounds. “She is a hypertension patient and has been advised to sleep on a cot by prison doctors. So far no such requisition has been made for Sasiskala or her doctor,” the person said.
Ms Sasiskala, who spent a restless night sleeping on the floor, also skipped dinner. For breakfast, she had pongal. She also asked for hot water to take bath.
Her first visitors were her lawyers, the person added. Ms Sasikala and Ms Ilavarasi have been lodged in a two-occupancy cell, located at the same barracks as hardened women convicts are lodged.
“But they do not have to interact with the other convicts and can keep to themselves,” the person said.
Another person with direct knowledge of the matter said the Tamil Nadu government may ask the court to relocate her to a prison in her home state.
