Jayalalithaa Death Case: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday tabled the reports of separate Commissions of Inquiry that looked into the circumstances surrounding the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and the 2018 police firing at Thoothukudi in the state. The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry that probed the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, in its concluding remarks said that V K Sasikala, the late Chief Minister’s confidante, “have to be found fault with and investigation is to be ordered.”Also Read – Tamil Nadu: Man Kills Newly-Wed Daughter, Husband in Thoothukudi; Surrenders
The panel also found Dr Sivakumar (Jayalalithaa’s personal physician and relative of Sasikala), former health secretary Radhakrishnan and former health minister C Vijayabaskar to be guilty and requested an investigation. Also Read – Tamil Nadu Woman Becomes ‘Man’ To Avoid Sexual Harassment, Raise Her Daughter ‘Safely’
The Commission said: “Considering various aspects, the Commission is constrained to come to no other conclusion, but to indict VK Sasikala. She and KS Sivakumar, Dr C Vijayabaskar J Radhakrishnan have to be found at fault and an investigation should be ordered against them.” Also Read – Video: Sasikala Visits Jayalalithaa's Memorial For First Time Since Jail Release
The Commission also criticised the official declaration of Jayalalithaa’s death. Quoting what had happened after Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest on December 4, 2016, the Commission said, “From 3.50 p.m on December 4 CPR and sternotomy exercises were futile and these have been used as a ploy to explain away the delay in the official declaration of her death.”
The Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission of Inquiry, which probed the 2018 police firing at Thoothukudi on anti-Sterlite protesters –that claimed 13 lives– has blamed the police authorities.
Jayalalithaa died on 5 December 2016.