Sasikala VIP treatment row: CM Siddaramaiah orders high-level inquiry, assures strict action

New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered an inquiry into the accusations made by DIG D Roopa in her report which claimed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala paid bribes to jail officials in exchange of VIP favours for herself in the Bengaluru prison. 

 “We have taken serious cognizance of the allegation of irregularities in Bengaluru Central Prison and ordered a high level inquiry,” the official Twitter handle of Karnataka CM posted on Wednesday.

"Request all to await the outcome of this inquiry. Strict action will be taken against any person found guilty of wrongdoing, " the tweet further reads. 

We have taken serious cognizance of the allegation of irregularities in Bengaluru Central Prison & ordered a high level inquiry. 1/2

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) July 13, 2017

Request all to await the outcome of this inquiry. Strict action will be taken against any person found guilty of wrongdoing. 2/2

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) July 13, 2017

Earlier in the day, a report by (DIG) (Prisons) D. Roopa asserted that a bribe worth Rs. 2 crore was given to the prison officials, including the DG (Prisons) in order to avail special facilities. Roopa, in a report to Director General (Prisons) H.N. Satyanarayana Rao, has said there are speculations that Sasikala paid bribe to prison officials to get special facilities for herself with rumours also of the DG being a beneficiary himself.

However, Director General (Prisons) H.N. Satyanarayana Rao categorically denied all the allegations and termed them false and baseless. "If she had some doubts, she should have first come to me and talk about it. Instead, she went to the media and showed everything. Whatever she has written in the letter is false," Rao said in a press conference.