Chennai: Ms V.K. Sasikala, the jailed close aide of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, need not appear before the Justice A. Arumughaswamy Commission probing Jayalalithaa's hospitalization and death.
Ms Sasikala's counsel Mr N. Rajasenthoor Pandian conveyed the decision to journalists after appearing before the commission on Wednesday.
The Commission is likely to complete the probe by February 24. Deputy Chief Minister Mr O. Panneerselvam will be the last witness to appear before the Commission, perhaps before January 29.
On September 25, 2017, the state government had appointed retired Madras High Court judge Justice A. Arumugasamy as the one-man commission of inquiry to look into the circumstances leading to Ms Jayalalithaa's death after a 75-day-long treatment. She was admitted to Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, for fever and dehydration on September 22, 2016, and died in hospital on December 5, 2016.
Over 104 persons, including IAS and IPS officers, politicians, Sasikala's relatives, doctors who were part of the team that treated Ms Jayalalithaa, nurses, technicians and persons who worked at her Poes Garden residence have deposed before the Commission so far.
A large number of medical documents were submitted. Minister for health and family welfare Mr C. Vijaya Baskar appeared before the commission on Monday.
The commission was likely to conclude the probe before February 24, when its tenure comes to an end, and submit its report to the government. The commission has decided not to order Ms Sasikala to appear before it since her counsel had been appearing before the commission regularly and expressing views on her behalf.
The commission has also decided to wind up the probe without the appearance of Dr Richard Beale, the UK-based doctor who treated Ms Jayalilathaa, before it through videoconference from London on January 9. The commission had earlier ordered his appearance through videoconference. However, Ms Sasikala's counsel Mr Pandian has decided to file a petition challenging the commission's decision and ask it to order appearance of Dr Beale and ministers Dindigul C. Sreenivasan, Mr P. Thangamani, D. Jayakumar, C. Ve. Shanmugam, and DMK chief M. K. Stalin in connection with probe.
