Jayalalithaa death probe panel: VK Sasikala seeks 10 days to file affidavit
Chennai: Jailed AIADMK leader V. K. Sasikala on Tuesday sought ten days to submit an elaborate affidavit with her explanation on the statements made against her by witnesses who appeared before the Justice A. Arumughaswamy Commission probing J Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation and death after receipt of their deposition through speed post.
Appearing on behalf of Sasikala, currently serving four-year jail term at the Parapana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru in the disproportionate assets (DA) case, her counsel Raja Senthoor Pandian made a detailed submission before the Commission on Tuesday.
Last week, the commission had allowed Sasikala’s counsel to cross examine witnesses who appeared before it and recorded statement against her, while passing orders to send all related documents through speed post.
Appearing again on Tuesday, Pandian said he would need seven days time to cross examine the 22 witnesses who deposed against his client before the commission.
“After submitting the detailed affidavit with Sasikala's response, we have sought seven days time to cross examine the witnesses,” a senior member of Sasikala's legal team said. Since Sasikala cannot appear in person, her counsel would cross examine the witnesses, they said.
A host of people, including Jayalalithaa's former advisor Sheela Balakrishnan, former chief secretary Rama Mohana Rao, Sasikala's niece Krishna Priya and Jayalalithaa's former personal assistant Poonkundran, have appeared before the commission and shared information on the former CM's hospitalisation and death.
Sasikala will get copy of deposition of evidence of witnesses other than those by Dr Sivakumar, Dr Balaji and Poonkundran in jail. The deposition by the aforesaid three persons was not complete and hence it cannot be shared with Sasikala, the commission had said last week.
The commission has been mandated 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.”
