Income-tax authorities from Chennai are all set to interrogate Sasikala and her sister-in-law and prison-mate Ilavarasi in Bangalore today on the incriminating documents and the origin of gold/diamond jewellery seized recently in Chennai and elsewhere.

Karnataka’s Prison Department has accorded the necessary consent to the Income Tax Department, Chennai’s request to interrogate the duo inside the high-security Parappana Agrahara Prison complex in Bangalore.  The decision to interrogate the duo follows large-scale raids at Sasikala, her friends and relatives’ establishments and premises in 197 locations by income-tax authorities resulting in many seizures.

The 5-day long raid reportedly lasted in recovery/attachment of properties worth Rs.1430 crores, it is reported.  Rs.7 crores in liquid cash and Rs.5 crore-worth gold and diamond jewellery has also been recovered. Raids continued late last week with tax-men knocking at the doors of the famed Poes Garden residence of former chief-minister Jayalalithaa and inspecting five rooms once occupied by Sasikala.

Now that the authorities have been granted permission to interrogate Sasikala and Ilavarasi, a team of I-T sleuths have left for Bangalore and would be commencing their interrogation today morning.