Jaya Death Probe Commission Summons Sasikala and Apollo Chairman

The commission was set up by the Tamil Nadu government on 27 October.

Jayalalithaa supporters. 

(Photo: PTI)

The commission set up by the Tamil Nadu government to probe the death of former chief minister Jayalalithaa, has summoned the former chief minister’s aide and former general secretary of the AIADMK Sasikala and chairman of Apollo Hospitals Pratap Reddy, to seek information regarding her death.

Justice A Arumughaswamy was appointed by the Tamil Nadu government to inquire into the circumstances leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa on 27 October.

Arumughaswamy, a retired Madras High Court judge, said the probe would be transparent. The commission will have to submit its report in three months, as per the government order.

Retired Madras HC Judge Justice A Arumughaswamy officially took over as the chief of inquiry commission to probe J Jayalalithaa’s death on 27 October.

(Photo: ANI)

According to the order issued in September, the Commission's terms of reference were to be "to inquire into the circumstances and situation leading to the hospitalisation" of Jayalalithaa on 22 September 2016 and "subsequent treatment provided till her unfortunate demise" on 5 December the same year.

Chief Minister E Palaniswami had made the announcement on 17 August 2017 that a one-man inquiry commission would be constituted for the purpose.

Reacting to the Tamil Nadu government’s decision, Apollo Hospitals had then said:

<p>The decision to set up a committee to inquire into the cause of death of former TN CM Jayalalithaa is a good move.</p>

The probe was a key demand of the then rebel AIADMK faction led by O Panneerselvam as a pre-condition for the merger of his camp with that of Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

The two factions had merged on 21 August with Panneerselvam becoming the deputy CM.

(WIth inputs from PTI and ANI)