Apollo Wants Medical Proceedings Stayed in Jaya’s Death Probe

Apollo Hospitals has asked for a stay on all the proceedings pending before the Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry.

On 25 September 2017, the Tamil Nadu government set up an inquiry commission to probe into Jayalalithaa’s death.

(Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

Apollo Hospitals has submitted a writ petition to the Madras High Court asking for a stay on the proceedings related to the medical treatment including appearance of doctors, pending before the Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry.

The bench, consisting of Hon’ble Justice R Subbiah and Krishnan Ramasamy, which heard the matter today directed the counsels for the commission and the state of Tamil Nadu to file their counters and posted the matter to 15 February 2019.

On 25 September 2017, the Tamil Nadu government set up an inquiry commission headed by Justice (Retd) Arumughasamy to probe the circumstances leading to late chief minister Jayalalithaa’s death on 5 December 2016 after 75 days of treatment at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.

The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission had called 10 doctors and a technician from Apollo Hospitals for re-examination by Sasikala’s counsel on 5 and 6 February. Upon Apollo Hospital’s insistence, the hearing was adjourned to 11 February.

“Apollo submitted that it will be filing a memo before the commission to adjourn the appearance of doctors posted on 12 and 13 February,” read the press statement sent by the hospital.

The court was hearing two writ petitions filed by the hospital, which stated that the commission must confine itself to gathering facts, and not go into the “efficacy, correctness and adequacy or inadequacy of treatment,” and urging the court to form a medical board, reported The News Minute.

“The inquiry lacks impartiality and objectivity and instead is vitiated by prejudiced, pre-determined and baseless conclusions in conducting the inquiry.”

Apollo Hospitals’ petition, reported <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/madras-hc-refuses-stay-jaya-probe-proceedings-after-apollo-calls-inquiry-partial-96533">The News Minute</a>.

“Even before that the hospital received an email from the Secretary, Commission stating, ‘Witnesses stopped. Fresh date will be intimated later’ in effect adjourning its proceedings,” it read.

The stay petition is still pending before the High Court. Meanwhile, counsels representing Apollo Hospital and Sasikala had asked for O Panneerselvam to be called. However, the date to issue summons to deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had still not been finalised, an official at the commission had told The Quint.

The tenure of the commission ends on 24 February 2019 and the commission claims it is in its final stages of completion.

(With inputs from The News Minute.)