Chennai: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (AIADMK's) jailed leader, VK Sasikala, was granted parole for 15 days on Tuesday to attend her husband M. Natarajan's last rites, Bengaluru Central Jail Chief Superintendent M. Somashekar said.
M Natarajan, died on Tuesday at a corporate hospital here, an official said.
He was 74.
"It is with profound grief and sorrow that we announce the sad demise of Natarajan Maruthappa at 1.35am today," an official statement issued by Shanmuga Priyan, chief operating officer of Gleneagles Global Health City, said.
Natarajan was admitted to the hospital on Saturday with severe chest infection and was put on ventilator support.
Last year he underwent a kidney transplant.
Natarajan's body was moved to his Besant Nagar residence so people could pay their last respects.
Sources close to him said that his body will be taken later in the day to his native village in Thanjavur district for the final rites.
However, it was not immediately known when the final rites will be held as the family anticipates a possible parole for Sasikala.
Convicted in the Rs665 million (Dh37 million) disproportionate assets case, Sasikala has been serving a four-year jail term in Bengaluru Parappana Agrahara prison since last February.
She was granted emergency parole in October last year when Natarajan underwent the kidney transplant.
Natarajan was an avid Tamil activist and ran a vernacular magazine called Puthiya Paarvai.
He was formerly a Public Relations Officer with the state government.
In 2011, he was one of the family members of Sasikala who were expelled by late Chief Minister and then AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha from the party.
Though Jayalalitha expelled Sasikala, her close aide, she later re-inducted her into the fold.
