'Jayalalithaa called to me for help, but refused to go to the hospital': VK Sasikala tells Arumughaswamy Commission

VK Sasikala told the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission, which is probing the death of J Jayalalithaa, that the former Tamil Nadu chief minister refused to go to hospital before she fainted in her bedroom around 10 pm on 22 September, 2016, according to media reports. [caption id=“attachment_4242925” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of late J Jayalalithaa. PTI[/caption] In the 55-page document, Sasikala said that around 9.30 pm, Jayalalithaa called for help from her bathroom in her Poes Garden residence in Chennai. According to Sasikala, she helped Jayalalithaa return to bed, where she fainted, The Hindu reported. “She called to me for help. I suggested going to hospital, but she refused. She passed out and I called the doctor for an ambulance,” Sasikala was quoted as saying by Deccan Chronicle. An unconscious Jayalithaa was rushed to Apollo hospital, though she regained her senses in the ambulance, where she was informed that they were en route to the hospital,  News18 reported. The late chief minister’s health issues were mainly due to the stress caused by her conviction in the disproportionate assets case in September 2014, the Deccan Chronicle report added. According to India Today, Sasikala also provided a list of 20 doctors who treated Jayalalithaa between November 2014 and September 2016. Sasikala also asserted that four videos of Jayalalithaa that she made — with permission  — were submitted to the commission. The videos were an effort to document Jayalalithaa’s health, the report added. Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital on the night of 22 September, 2016 and passed away on 5 December, 2016. Following her death, suspicion over the circumstances leading to her demise were raised by several persons, including Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his followers. Later, the Tamil Nadu government formed the Arumughaswamy Commission to probe her death. The panel’s terms of reference were to inquire into the circumstances and situation leading to the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa and treatment provided till her demise. With inputs from PTI