Apollo Hospital Says Jaya’s Security Controlled CCTV Cameras

In a 5-page affidavit, the hospital claims the security detail had full discretion over information shared publicly.

Four police officers, including intel chief KN Sathyamoorthy, have been named in a new statement issued by Apollo Hospital in Chennai, regarding the death of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

A five-page affidavit was submitted by Apollo Hospital to the inquiry commission conducting a probe into the former chief minister’s hospitalisation. The hospital claims that the four officers, who were part of her security detail at the time, controlled both surveillance around Jayalalithaa’s treatment at Apollo as well as the release of information to the public.

Since the late chief minister’s passing on 5 December 2016, many have raised questions over the events surrounding her hospitalisation and death. Following this, a one-man commission, led by retired Justice Arumugam, was established by the state government to conduct a probe into her death.

“I submit that during her hospitalisation, the personal security of the late chief minister was overseen by her own personal security detail, which included the police, Mr K. N. Sathyamoorthy, Mr Sudhaker, Mr R Veeraperumal, and Mr S Perumalsamy. The entire second floor was under their surveillance. They also provided surveillance when the late Chief Minister had to be moved out of the second floor for the purpose of CT scans or other procedures,” according to S.M. Mohan Kumar, the legal representative for Apollo, on behalf of the hospital.

The affidavit further goes on to assert that the hospital’s CCTV cameras in its corridors were shut off when Jayalalithaa was being moved to different parts of the hospital, at the request of Sathyamoorthy, Sudhaker, Veeraperumal, and Perumalsamy.

The statement further alleges that the press releases which the government had released during the stay of the former chief minister were incomplete. The government strictly controlled all information which was being given to the public, though hospital authorities had briefed the government daily on the exact status of Jayalalithaa, the affidavit reads.

“Although, the government was briefed by the hospital on the late CM’s health condition on a daily basis, the press statements released by them do not contain the complete and detailed version of the late CM’s day-to-day health condition since it was within their discretion what information to share with the public and not. The intent of the government as conveyed was to maintain law and order, manage public sentiment and heightened emotions by minimizing information shared with the public during the late CM’s hospitalisation,” it reads.

(This article was first published in The News Minute, and has been republished here with permission.)