Petition in Madras HC seeks clarity on Jayalalithaa's thumb impression
Chennai: Even after eight months after demise of former Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa following illness, the controversy over her thumb impression refuses to die down.
DMK candidate Dr P. Saravanan, who lost the byelection in Tiruparankundram Assembly Constituency, filed a petition in Madras high court, seeking details of her thumb impression on affidavit filed by A.K. Bose, AIADMK candidate, elected from the constituency in the November 2016 bypoll.
In the application Saravanan has sought details regarding her left thumb impression (LTI) affixed on affidavit allotting party symbol, ‘two-leaves’, to Bose. Principal secretary of health department played a vital role in treatment of Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospital. She was treated in the hospital from September 22, 2016, and declared dead on December 5, 2016. While she was being treated in the hospital, she kept her LTI on Form A and B of election documents, which were submitted by Bose along with his nomination paper, for the bypoll.
He said Dr P. Balaji’s attestation to Jaya’s LTI is the core issue in the original election petition filed by him in Madras High Court.
As per the attestation Bose was allowed to contest in ‘two-leaves’ symbol under the defective Form-A and Form-B. Stating that the defective forms affected his election to the constituency, Saravanan sought a direction to health secretary to produce the order of appointing Dr Balaji as a co-coordinator of a medical team,
which treated Jayalalithaa and to produce the government order dated September 30, 2016.
Saravanan sought 17 documents pertaining to the treatment of Jayalaliathaa and other related reports. Among others he sought details of a five member special team stationed at Apollo hospital for her treatment, communication for requesting doctor team from All India Institute of Medial Sciences, New Delhi, and Dr Richard Beale, the consultant intensivist from the London Bridge Hospital, to treat Jayalaliathaa, details of press release issued by health secretary on March 6, 2017, produce the treatment record and medical reports of Jayalalithaa received in Apollo hospital as per the press release, submit medical report from AIIMS, details of press meet by Dr Richard Beale and others on February 2, 2017 and communication with Dr Beale to invite him for the press meet, conveyance details of AIIMS team, press release issued by Raj Bhavan on October 26, 2016 and order requesting Dr Balaji to attest LTI of Jaya.
Justice P. Velmurugan, before whom the application came up for hearing on Thursday, has ordered notice to Bose.
It may be noted that with an intention of strengthening his plea in the original election petition filed challenging the election of A.K. Bose, Saravanan has sought the details.
