Tamil Nadu govt orders judicial probe into Jayalalithaa's death; panel to submit report within three months

Amid renewed demands for a thorough investigation into J Jayalalithaa's death, the Tamil Nadu government set up an inquiry commission headed by retired high court judge Justice Arumughaswamy. The government has asked the panel to submit their report within three months, CNN-News 18 reported.

An official release said: "To conduct an inquiry and submit a report on the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, an inquiry commission headed by retired high court judge Justice Arumugasamy has been constituted." A government order had been issued for this purpose, it added.

File image of AIADMK members praying for the speedy recovery of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Coimbatore before her daeth. PTI

The Apollo Hospital, where the former chief minister was admitted during her last days also welcomed the move. Dr Prathap Reddy, chief of Apollo Hospital in Chennai, said he welcomed a judicial probe into the mystery surrounding the death of Jayalalithaa, and said the hospital will cooperate with the authorities regarding the probe.

Doubts have been raised over the events leading to Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation on 22 September, 2016, and her death by various quarters with Opposition parties including the DMK demanding a CBI probe.

However, the controversy was stirred up again on Saturday, with Tamil Nadu minister C Sreenivasan seeking people's apology for "lying" about Jayalalithaa's health condition when she was admitted in Apollo Hospital.

"We would have told lies that she (Jayalalithaa) had idlis and people met her. The truth is that nobody saw her," the minister had claimed.

However, another Tamil Nadu minister Sellur K Raju was quick to deny Sreenivasan's claim, stating that "all the ministers met her."

Meanwhile, on Monday, Jayalalithaa's nephew J Deepak stirred up another controversy by saying that Z plus security personnel were not present at Apollo Hospital when she was admitted there.

The probe into the AIADMK supremo's demise was a key pre-condition of rebel leader and now deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam for the merger of two factions led by him and Chief Minister K Palaniswamy.

Four days ahead of the merger, Palaniswamy had on 17 August announced that a commission of inquiry would be formed to investigate the circumstances around Jayalalithaa's death. After Panneerselvam had made a demand for a probe claiming there were doubts in the minds of people, Apollo Hospitals had arranged a media conference in February seeking to put to rest any such apprehensions.

With inputs from PTI