The secrecy over late former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's health and her stay at Apollo Hospital for over two months had given enough room for speculation. The matter has now reached the Supreme Court, with a youth outfit filing a petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the death of the AIADMK chief.
In its petition, Tamil Nadu Telugu Yuva Sakthi pointed out that several eminent personalities and family members of Jayalalithaa had raised “doubts” about the circumstances that led to her death. It also sought a direction from the apex court to disclose her medical report.
Jayalalithaa breathed her last on December 5 following a cardiac arrest.
The former chief minister was hospitalised on September 22 with “fever and dehydration”. Rumours flew thick and fast on social media as the curt press statements issued by Apollo Hospital seldom gave clarity on her health condition.
The hospital had claimed that Jayalalithaa recovered fully and could be discharged anytime. Her party had even produced a signed statement of the leader, in which she claimed that she had taken a new birth with the prayers of the people.
“All medical reports need to be examined by experts from the AIIMS and the court may seek an investigation if any discrepancies are found on the part of the doctors, officials or people who supervised the health of Jayalalithaa,” the petition said, according to leading national daily.
In an apparent reference to Sasikala Natarajan—a close aide of Jayalalithaa—and her family members, the petition contended that the persons present at the time of Jayalalithaa's death were facing serious allegations of conspiracy and had once been sent out of the house of Jayalalithaa.
It also urged the top court to set up a panel to look into all decisions taken by the Tamil Nadu government during Jayalalithaa's stay at the hospital.
