BackHow did Jayalalithaa die all of a sudden, asks Madras High Court judge
Madras HC raises questions on why medical records or other proofs were not furnished even after Jayalalithaa's death
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Chennai: On Thursday as V.K. Sasikala was appointed as the general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Madras high court raised doubts over the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J.Jayalalithaa.
“Why can’t we order an exhumation of the body of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa?" observed the Madras HC vacation bench.
On hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an AIADMK member P.A. Joseph, the vacation bench of the Madras high court, comprising justice S. Vaidyanathan and justice V. Parthiban, raised questions on why medical records or other proofs were not furnished, even after her death.
“I have personal suspicions about Jayalalithaa’s death," said justice Vaidyanathan. He also added, “...there were reports of her eating, talking, attending meetings and signing documents and then how did she die all of a sudden."
The 68-year-old Jayalalithaa, who was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Chennai on 22 September, passed away on 5 December. The hospital authorities issued sporadic bulletins regarding her health, but had initially said that she was admitted for fever and dehydration. Later, the statements claimed that she had a lung congestion and underwent tracheostomy and suffered a cardiac arrest.
While Dr Richard John Beale, consultant intensivist at the London Bridge Hospital, was flown in from the UK, besides a team of doctors from Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) treated the late chief minister.
“What is the cause of mysterious death of the former chief minister Dr. J. Jayalalithaa," the petitioner had claimed.
Listing the timeline of events that happened since Jayalalithaa’s hospitalization, the petitioner has also said, “All the statements, press releases relating to the health of chief minister were issued only by the private hospital and not even a single press release was done by the government, which is bound to clarify the health (status) of chief minister to the public. In this issue main question is who authorized the private hospital to make periodical press releases of its patient."
The vacation bench has issued notices to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state and the Central government.
The case will be heard next on 9 January.
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