Three years on, Jaya’s death still a mystery as stay on probe commission continues

Three years after the death anniversary of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the mystery behind her death, as claimed by AIADMK senior leaders, has still not been solved, thanks to the Supreme Court which has stayed the proceedings of the Justice Arumughaswamy Commission, appointed to probe Jayalalithaa’s death.

Following her death on the night of December 5, 2016, political chaos ensued in the State and in February 2017, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, then Chief Minister, sat on ‘Dharma Yudham’ at Jayalalithaa’s memorial on Marina beach, demanding answers. He was the first person to have raised suspicions on her death. Many party seniors had sided with him.

Following their appeal, the State government appointed Justice Arumughaswamy Commission in August 2017, and so far, 147 people, including Ministers, Secretaries, IAS, IPS officials and Apollo doctors were inquired by the Commission.

According to sources in the Commission, among the persons who were served notices, only Panneerselvam and 10 Apollo doctors remain to be inquired and the Commission is in the final stages but as there is a stay, the Commission cannot proceed further.

Many doubts have been raised by AIADMK seniors regarding Jayalalithaa’s death. One of the founding members of AIADMK, C Ponnaiyan, in a public meeting, even claimed that Jayalalithaa was beaten by a wooden log fixed with three nails and so there were three marks on Jayalalithaa’s face but when he was investigated by the Arumughaswamy Commission, he retracted his statements.

Speaking to DT Next, DMK Organising Secretary RS Bharathi said, “It was Panneerselvam who initially raised suspicion on Jayalalithaa’s death joined hands with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, demanded the appointment of a Commission to investigate the death, but he has not appeared even once before the Commission even after receiving summons on four occasions”.

Bharathi also said that it is the AIADMK that is not interested in bringing out the real reason behind the death of Jayalalithaa. “All the present leaders, including Palaniswami and Panneerselvam claim that Jayalalithaa gave them an identity but they are the ones who have delayed the proceedings of the Commission,” said Bharathi.

Meanwhile, the legal wing of Sasikala, which has been active in proving that the AIADMK leaders were wrong in raising suspicion over Jayalalithaa’s death, approached Supreme Court against the stay for the Commission. Raja Senthoor Pandian, Sasikala’s Lawyer, told DT Next, “Apollo filed petition to stop inquiring their doctors, but the Supreme Court has extended the stay for entire proceedings. We have filed a petition seeking SC to vacate the stay for the Commission”.