Panel probing Jaya's death warns Apollo Hospital, directs doctors' deposition

Chennai: The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, probing the death of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, on Thursday warned the Apollo Hospital of legal consequences if it failed to depute its doctors to appear before the panel.

In a letter to the hospital chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy, the panel, whose extended tenure ends next month, noted that in previous hearings some of the doctors, summoned, had not appeared before it had been condoned.

"Depute the doctors and technician before this commission without raising any technical objections, remembering that your hospital has received several crores of rupees towards treatment charges (of Jayalalithaa)," it said.

The panel directed cardiologist Dr Sai Sathish, Consultants, Dr C Vignesh and Dr D Ravi Varma to appear before it on September 11, respiratory medicine specialist Dr Babu K Abraham and technician Madivannan on Sept 12 and chief physiotherapist, Raj Prassanna on September 10.

"...if you fail to depute the doctors and technician, law will take its own course against you and other directors," the letter, a copy of which is made available to the media, said.

The one-man commission, headed by retired Madras High Court judge A Arumughaswamy, pointed out that the doctors were directed to appear only in a phased manner.

It has so far examined a number of witnesses, including over ten doctors, retired and serving government officials and police officers.

Last month, three AIIMS-Delhi doctors, who had periodically examined Jayalalithaa during her hospitalisation, appeared before the panel.

Jayalalithaa had died on December 5, 2016 after being treated in the hospital for 75 days for various ailments.

In September 2017, the state government had constituted the probe panel under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, mandating it to inquire into the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation on September 22, 2016, and treatment provided by the hospital till her demise.

The commission, whose term has been twice extended since then, had invited all those having "personal knowledge and direct acquaintance" to furnish information related to her.

Several persons, including present Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and his followers, had earlier raised suspicions about the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's death.