National News
VK Sasikala seeks 15-day parole to attend husband’s funeral
Following the demise of her husband Natarajan Maruthappa, sidelined AIADMK leader VK Sasikala has applied for 15-day parole to attend his funeral. She is lodged at Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Jail after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case.
Following the demise of her husband Natarajan Maruthappa, sidelined AIADMK leader VK Sasikala on Tuesday applied for 15-day parole to attend his funeral, reported news agency PTI.
She is currently lodged at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case. She is expected to travel to Maruthappa’s native village in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu for the final rites.
Maruthappa passed away at the age of 76 at Gleneagles Global Health City Hospital in Chennai last night. He was hospitalised on Sunday after complaining of chest pain. He was reportedly put on a ventilator as his condition worsened yesterday. He died of multiple organ failures.
“It is with profound grief and sorrow that we announce the sad demise of Natarajan Maruthappa at 1.35 AM today,” an official release issued by Shanmuga Priyan, chief operating officer of the hospital, stated.
Sasikala was jailed in February 2017 after the Supreme Court found her guilty in a Rs 66.6 crore disproportionate assets case and sentenced her to four years in prison. She was last granted parole on October 7, 2017, to visit Natarajan when he underwent simultaneous liver and kidney transplants.
Natarajan was a Tamil activist and was also running a vernacular magazine called ‘Puthiya Paarvai’. He was formerly a Public Relations Officer (PRO) with the state government. In 2011, Natarajan was expelled from the party by former chief minister late J Jayalalithaa.
