Jayalalithaa's death: Arumughaswamy Commission recommends probe against Sasikala

Jayalalithaa was admitted to Chennai’s Apollo Hospitals on September 22, 2016. She passed away on December 5 that year.

The Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry that was constituted to inquire into the circumstances and situation leading to the hospitalisation of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa and subsequent treatment till her death in 2016 has called for a probe against her aide VK Sasikala.

The Tamil Nadu government tabled the commission’s report in the assembly on Tuesday. The panel has named three others too.

Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry in its concluding remarks says, “VK Sasikala, KS Sivakumar, Dr J Radhakrishnan then health secretary, and Dr C Vijayabaskar, then health minister, have to be found fault with and investigation is to be ordered.”

Jayalalithaa was admitted to Chennai’s Apollo Hospitals on September 22, 2016. She was treated at the hospital for 75 days and later passed away on December 5 that year. Soon after her demise, high-voltage politics had erupted over the cause of her death and medical procedures followed during her hospitalisation.

Following the political uproar, former chief minister O Pannerselvam called for a probe into her death and the Arumughaswamy Commission was formed. The report was filed both, in English and Tamil.

As many as 159 witnesses have appeared before the commission to record their statement. The report also says, “During a general body meeting held in 2012, the chief minister attacked Sasikala and her family members. Even after re-entry there was no such cordial relationship between Sasikala and the late chief minister.”

Questioning a few other aspects, the commission writes, “Even though Dr Richard Beale said he is prepared to take the late CM abroad for treatment, why did it not materialise? Dr Samin Sharma convinced the late CM for taking angio, and she also agreed for the same, but why did it not taken place?”

The report further mentions that, “Dr YVC Reddy and Dr Babu Abraham have treated the late CM all along and though they invited Bombay, UK and USA doctors and got opinion from them, apart from Apollo Hospital’s own doctor, suggesting for doing angio, surgery, they successfully threw it to the wind on the pretext of postponing it, to achieve their aim under some pressure. Hence, investigation is to be ordered.”

Sasikala lived with former chief minister Jayalalithaa for decades. She was arrested in 2017 on charges of corruption after Jayalalithaa died following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case in which Jayalalithaa was the prime accused.

The commission submitted its report to Chief Minister MK Stalin on August 27 stating the circumstances surrounding the former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo’s hospitalisation.

The DMK had promised in its election manifesto that they will bring out the truth surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death.