V. K. Sasikala, Sasikala Natarajan
Sasikala NatarajanReuters

Former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader VK Sasikala's husband Natarajan Maruthappa has been put on ventilator support at a hospital in Chennai.

"Natarajan Maruthappa has been admitted in the ICU, Gleneagles Global Hospital on 16th March, 2018, with severe chest infection. He is on ventilator support and his condition is critical," the hospital said in a statement.

The 74-year-old, a chronic liver disease patient, had undergone a seven-and-a-half-hour kidney and liver transplant surgery last year. The organs belonged to a teenager from Thanjavur, who had suffered severe head injuries and a long bone fracture. The boy was declared brain dead.

Natarajan was also admitted to the hospital two weeks ago.

In October 2017, Sasikala had submitted an emergency parole form following which she was granteda five-day parole to meet her ailing husband. She was convicted in a disproportionate assets case and is currently serving a prison sentence in Bengaluru's central jail.

In January, Natarajan had surrendered before the CBI Special Court after the Madras High Court passed an order in November 2017. He was accused of evading customs duty while importing a luxury car from the UK in 1994.

Natarajan was accused of evading customs duty of over Rs 1.50 crore.