New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered a high-level probe into allegations of "special facilities" being provided to jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala in exchange for an alleged Rs 2-crore bribe to senior officers of the prisons department.

Authorities are also alleged to have turned a blind eye to drug trafficking inside the ParappanaAgrahara jail. Karnataka law minister TB Jayachandra has sought a report from the home secretary. The probe order came on a letter submitted by DIG (prisons) D Roopa to DGP (prisons) HN SathyanarayanaRao.

Roopa alleged that Sasikala had been given a special kitchen and other facilities by the prison staff. Roopa's report, contested by DGP Rao himself, has set off a war of words between senior cops in the state. Roopa also alleged that Abdul KarimTelgi, convicted in the stamp paper scam, was provided under trials as aides. The DIG also accused the prison administration of failing to check the flow of drugs in the jail.

The DIG's letter also created a furore in neighbouring Tamil Nadu with DMK and other opposition parties attacking the AIADMK government on the issue. 

BJP too joined in, blaming Siddaramaiah, who holds the home portfolio, for the alleged poor state of prisons. With the issue snowballing into a controversy, Siddaramaiah quickly got into damage control mode. "We have cognisance of the allegations in Bengaluru central jail and strict action will be taken against any person found guilty of wrongdoing," he told reporters in Raichur. He, however, did not get into the specifics as to who would head the inquiry or the deadline for completion of the probe.