Don’t share my release info to third parties, VK Sasikala tells Bengaluru prison officials

Sasikala wrote the letter after the prison authorities had replied to an RTI application related to Sasikala's date of release.
VK Sasikala
VK Sasikala
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VK Sasikala, aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has written to the authorities of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison requesting them not to provide any information to third parties regarding her release. Sasikala said that it was an invasion of her right to privacy and also said that there were precedents regarding sharing information related to prisoner release under the Right to Information Act.

"The said third parties file such applications for certain reasons to gain publicity, political vendetta etc," Sasikala's letter states. 

Sasikala's advocate sent the letter to the Chief Superintendent of the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison after a Bengaluru-based lawyer had received a reply to an RTI application he had filed with the jail authorities. The reply to the RTI had stated that Sasikala is likely to be released on January 27, 2021. 

"In a similar matter, Ved Prakash Arvyas, certain applications had sought information under RTI Act about the prisoner in Tihar Jail. The public information officer had denied to provide such information stating that details about under-trial prisoners or convicts were personal and revelation of such information is barred under section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act," Sasikala's letter to the Chief Superintendent of the prison reads. 

According to section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, information which relates to personal information, and the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual cannot be provided by the public information officer. 

Sasikala further stated that the Central Information Commission had also agreed to this stance on providing information related to prisoners and had upheld the public information officer's decision in connection with Ved Prakash Arvyas' case. The Chief Information Officer had cited the Supreme Court judgement on Right To Privacy while declining to provide information to the RTI application too. 

"Hence, I kindly request your office not to entertain any application of third parties under the Right to Information Act seeking information related to my imprisonment, date of release, and other details and thus render justice," the letter reads.

Although Sasikala's release date is on January 27, 2021, this date may be deferred by a year, to February 2022, if Sasikala chooses to not pay the in-default fine as ordered by the court. Further, the date may also vary if Sasikala chooses to apply for further parole, TNM had earlier reported.

The Supreme Court of India overruled the Karnataka High Court verdict in February 2017 and convicted Sasikala, and other co-accused, who were awarded four years' imprisonment and Rs 10 crore fine.

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