A special court for Lokayukta in this location has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) for the arrest of V K Sasikala, a close associate of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

This action was taken because she did not appear for a scheduled hearing related to allegations of her receiving preferential treatment during her time in prison here.

Sasikala, convicted in a disproportionate assets case in 2017, was lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in the city.

The court also issued NBW to another accused Ilavarasi, Sasikala’s sister-in-law.

Two individuals who had furnished sureties for the former AIADMK leader were also served notices before the court adjourned the hearing to October 5.

Sasikala and Ilavarasi were convicted by a special court in the disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa and them, and spent four years in the Central Prison here. During this time, they were accused of bribing prison officials to obtain privileges and special treatment not accorded to convicts.

Earlier in May, the Karnataka High Court quashed the case against three prison officers who were accused along with Sasikala — Krishna Kumar, the then Chief Jail Superintendent, Dr Anitha, then Assistant Superintendent of Prisons and Gajaraja Makanur, then police sub-inspector.

The three were accused of providing the facilities to Sasikala from the time she was imprisoned on February 15, 2017.