Inquiry panel to submit report in 3 months on Jaya's 'unfortunate demise'

Chennai: The state government on Wednesday night announced that the Justice A Arumughaswamy commission will go into the “circumstances and situation” leading to hospitalisation of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her “unfortunate demise” and submit its report within three months.

Two days after naming Arumughaswamy, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government issued two separate government orders announcing the Terms of Reference (ToR) and powers that can be exercised by the inquiry commission.

The Terms of Reference, according to the government order, will be to inquire into the “circumstances and situation leading to the hospitalisation of the late Hon’ble Chief Minister on September 22, 2016 and subsequent treatment provided till her unfortunate demise on December 5, 2016.”    

The ToR assumes significance, as it would also go into the circumstances that warranted Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation as there have been several allegations about “wrong treatment” being given to Jayalalithaa and reports of an “incident” at her Poes Garden residence on the day she was wheeled into the hospital.

There were also allegations that there was deliberate delay on the part of “those attending to her” in rushing her to hospital.

The GO said the commission would complete its inquiry and submit its report in English and Tamil within a period of three months.

It also said the committee will enjoy all powers according to Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.

The former judge’s name was announced more than a month after the Tamil Nadu Government decided to institute a one-member judicial commission to go into the death of Jayalalithaa, who breathed her last at 11.30 PM on December 5, 2016.

While making the announcement on August 16, Palanisamy said the commission was appointed as there were representations from several organisations seeking an inquiry into her death.

The inquiry commission was announced as part of the deal that sealed the merger of EPS and OPS factions since it was one of the prime demands of O Panneerselvam, now deputy chief minister.

Panneerselvam had set three conditions, removal of V K Sasikala from AIADMK, inquiry into Jayalalithaa’s death and converting Poes Garden residence of J Jayalalithaa into a memorial.

The naming of the former judge came as Opposition parties raised the pitch for a CBI probe into Jayalalithaa’s death after Forest Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan told at a public meeting that they had “lied” regarding progress in Jayalalithaa’s health fearing Sasikala.