Chennai: Tamil Nadu woke up to by now familiar allegations – bribing for perks this time from Mannargudi mafia to ensure comfortable life for its head and AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala inside the Parapanna Agrahara central prison in Bengaluru.

It is no longer shocking. It was as if the people were waiting to hear when and not if as to the kind of allegations that came out from a senior police official who inspected the prisons. A top Karnataka police official in her official memo alleged that Rs two crore bribe was paid to secure special cooks to prepare food for Sasikala, a special room for her to carry out party meetings and endless visitors, in contravention of all rules and regulations.

DIG prisons Karnataka refuted the allegations of his junior official but was coming under increasing pressure, as the state government ordered a detailed probe into the incident.

Sasikala jaik bribe gate was another opportunity that came the way of opposition and it pounced on it with all its might.

First off the blocks was DMK working president MK Stalin who sought a detailed probe into the whole affair and action taken against the guilty. “These are not the allegations from a political party, but a senior police official of neighbouring state. An impartial probe will bring out the truth,” he said. Yes, the incident does not shock him he said as most recently trust vote was also allegedly purchased and the issue was being blocked from being raised in the assembly.

Corruption has reached scales hitherto unknown levels, said another DMK leader. AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran had tried to bribe election commission officials to secure the two leaves symbol and thinks nothing of purchasing voters of RK Nagar constituency. It is precisely for these reasons that the election commission has put off the poll, even till date it is not known when a poll can be held there.

Stalin also alleged that Sekhar Reddy, the man who allegedly handled money of top politicians and a businessman, today was a hunted man. “There is a contract on his life,” the man has claimed and sought protection. Stalin demanded that a man who knew so many secrets must be protected.

AIADMK breakaway (OPS) group leader M Foi Pandiarajan, former education minister, said “these are the reasons (corruption) for which we broke out of the party. They think they can buy anything and anyone with money. Truth has now come out from the high security jail.” Even Lok Sabha deputy speaker Thambi Durai is also said to have flouted the rules to meet Sasikala, alleged another OPS camp follower. AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP, Dr V Maitreyan, “charges are levelled by senior officials, which will have lot of implications. Karnataka government must take appropriate action,” he said.

The brand-new corruption charge, of bribe for perks in jail, comes at a time when Sasikala’s review petition is about to come up in Supreme Court.