K.M. Sunitha, who hails from Kattur in Kerala's Thrissur district, made news last year when she claimed to be the daughter of former Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers MGR (M.G. Ramachandran) and J. Jayalalithaa. She claimed that her mother was killed and those responsible and roaming free even after a decade. On Monday, she reasserted her claim and announced the decision to fast unto death at her mother's memorial complex at Chennai's Marina Beach seeking justice.
Sunitha said she fears for her life and wanted to meet the press one final time before leaving for Chennai. She said she has no interest in Jayalalithaa's properties or political legacy and wants to bring those responsible for her mother's demise before justice
The story so far
It was in July 2025 that Sunitha claimed she was handed over by MGR to one of his Malayali aides. When she turned 18, her mother Jayalalithaa took a DNA test and accepted her as her daughter. She used to visit her mother at her residence in Poes Garden from time to time. Her mother had said that she was going to call a press conference on September 22, 2016, revealing that she was her daughter.
When she reached Poes Garden at 8 am that morning, she saw shocking scenes. Jayalalithaa was lying unconscious. Sasikala was kicking her in the presence of T.T.V. Dhinakaran, Edappadi Palaniswami, J. Ilavarasi, and their aides.
As she was about to scream after seeing her mother motionless on the floor, a servant covered her mouth and forcibly evicted her, telling her "Amma" had died. She returned to Kerala fearing that she would be killed. It was out of fear that she had not spoken out for so long.
Sunitha claims her parents named her Mahalekshmi. Jayalalithaa used to call her Krishnapriya after their reunion, and her close associates knew her as Krishna. In a complaint that she filed, the 42-year-old stated that her mother had provided her with financial assistance.
Fight for visibility
Sunitha says she believes her mother passed away on September 22 and everything that happened afterwards was staged. "Sasikala would not dare to treat her the way she did that day if she were alive," she said. "There was no elaborate security as always when I reached Poes Garden that day. My mother was lying on the floor, and people were standing all around her. When I tried to talk to her a month before her passing, it was almost impossible as people were always watching us," Sunitha said.
"I have been through a lot all my life. All I am asking for is to be identified as my mother's daughter and to get her justice." She said she is open to undergoing a DNA test with J. Deepa and her brother Deepak Jayakumar—children of Jayalalithaa's elder brother J. Jayakumar.
Ernakulam native Sreejith, who accompanied Sunitha, said she had filed complaints with the offices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in July 2025 before reaching out to the President. "It has been over a year now, and nobody has reached out yet. Imagine, an eyewitness has reported a crime, but law and order is not probing it. There are cases registered at Thrissur police stations over attempts to harm her. A Tamil Nadu-based man once tried to stab her," he said.
Sreejith added that they have been trying to get in touch with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, but nothing has materialised yet. "The last time we tried, we were told that he was busy with the by-poll campaigns and we would have to wait. You have to understand that reaching out to people like the CM is not easy for ordinary people."
A TVK twist
Standing by her claims, Sunitha said she has been constantly changing her address to stay under the radar. She has been attacked before, and the constant moves are even affecting the education of her two school-going children.
She named Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Kerala state coordinator Satheesh Thonnakkal among the people who know the truth. The former Tamil Nadu CM had told her that she could seek Satheesh's help if anything was to happen to her, Sunitha said at the Ernakulam Press Club.
However, Satheesh keeps dodging her attempts to get in touch. In the decade since Jayalalithaa's passing, she has never managed to get in touch with him. His mother picked up her phone a few times, but Satheesh never called back. She asked for the media's help to reach out to Satheesh. "Amma asked me if I was interested in politics. I told her I was not. Satheesh, who was a close aide, was someone she was planning to launch into politics as she knew he showed promise," Sunitha said.
"Just like Sasikala, Ilavarasi, O. Panneerselvam, and other members of Amma's close circle, Satheesh knows very well that I am her daughter. I have been constantly trying to get in touch with him. I have lost faith in everything over the years except the media," Sunitha said. She added that she is hoping Satheesh will reveal the truth.
When asked why she was not contacting MGR's family, she said, "My mother had to face so many issues due to giving birth to me. She never wanted me to get in touch with my father's kin. I have kept my word to this day."
"I was sent to Kerala because my father's family wanted me dead since I was his legal heir," she added.
Sreejith said at least three people who have travelled with Sunitha to meet Jayalalithaa in Chennai are alive and their contact information can be shared. "I will never die by suicide. Nobody has ever denied my claim to date. I am not somebody who showed up after her demise. I was accepted by her when she was alive and well. I want to get my mother justice," she concluded.
