Tamil Nadu: Commission probing Jayalalithaa's death summons three AIIMS doctors
The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, probing the death of former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa's death, has summoned three AIIMS doctors, who examined her at Apollo Hospital (Chennai), to appear before it on August 23 and 24. It has summoned GC Khilnani of the Department of Pulmonology, Anjan Trikha, Professor of Anesthesiology, and Nitish Nayak, a professor in the Department of Cardiology.
Doctors have accepted the summonses
The three AIIMS doctors had periodically examined Jayalalithaa when she was undergoing treatment at the Apollo Hospital between September 22 and December 5, 2016. The expert doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be examined as the commission's witnesses on both the days. Summonses have already been served on them and they have accepted them, the panel sources said.
Panel was formed last year by the Tamil Nadu government
In Sept'17, the TN government constituted the panel under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. The panel was supposed to inquire into the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's hospitalization on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her demise on December 5, 2016. It had invited all those having personal knowledge and direct acquaintance in the matter to furnish information to it.
Over 75 witnesses have been examined
So far, the Commission's 75 witnesses and seven others who had voluntarily petitioned the panel have been examined. Of them, over 30 have been cross-examined by counsels for VK Sasikala, the jailed aide of late AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa. It may be recalled that the examined witnesses include over a dozen doctors (government and Apollo Hospital), retired and serving government officials and police officers.
Many people raised suspicion over Jayalalithaa's death scenario
Following Jayalalithaa's death, suspicion on the circumstances leading to her demise was raised by several people, including the present Deputy CM O Panneerselvam and his followers. Panneerselvam and his followers had demanded a probe into her death, either a judicial inquiry or a CBI probe.
