Jayalalithaa thumb impression row: Death probe panel summons 2 doctors
Chennai: Justice A. Arumughaswamy Commission on Wednesday commenced its inquiry into the circumstances leading to former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death and is understood to have summoned two government doctors, including P. Balaji who obtained the fingerprints of the late leader during her hospitalisation, to appear before it.
The hearing began with DMK leader P. Saravanan, who unsuccessfully contested the byelections to Thiruparankundram assembly constituency in November 2016, deposing before the Commission and raising doubts about Jayalalithaa’s thumb impression that was affixed in the B-form of his rival A.K. Bose’s nomination papers.
“There is no life in Jayalalithaa’s thumb impression that has been affixed in the papers. I see a lot difference in the thumb impression. There seems to be a larger conspiracy in this issue. Everything should be probed,” Saravanan told reporters outside the commission’s camp office here.
Saravanan also brought to the panel’s notice alleged discrepancies in press releases and the final discharge summary of the hospital where Jayalalithaa received treatment for 75 days before breathing her last at 11.30 pm on December 5, 2016.
“I will submit further documents in respect of Jayalalithaa’s signature and her thumb impression with the commission tomorrow,” Saravanan said. Sources said the commission has asked Balaji, currently the head of Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu, and one more doctor, whose name is not known, to appear before it to answer several queries.
Balaji was at the centre of controversy after he obtained the thumb impression of Jayalalithaa at the ICU of Apollo Hospitals here. Opposition parties have alleged that the thumb impression was not affixed by Jayalalithaa and have been demanding a detailed probe into the issue.
On Wednesday, advocate R. Krishnamurthy submitted an affidavit seeking examination of 30 persons on oath including jailed AIADMK leader V. K. Sasikala, her husband M. Natarajan, and Prathap C. Reddy of Apollo Hospital.
