The Apollo Hospitals management in Chennai on Tuesday, October 26, told the Supreme Court that their doctors skipped summons issued by the Justice (retired) A Arumugasamy-led Commission as they do not have any faith in its functioning. The Commission was tasked to probe the hospitalisation and factors leading to the eventual death of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Tuesday’s hearing was part of the case filed by Apollo challenging the inquiry commission instituted by the CM Edappadi K Palaniswami in September 2017. The Apollo management on Tuesday also said CCTV cameras were removed from the hospital at the behest of the then AIADMK government.  

It may be recalled that Jayalalithaa was admitted to Chennai’s Apollo Hospital on September 22, 2016. She had passed away on December 5 after a prolonged period of hospitalisation after suffering a cardiac arrest on the previous day. 

Earlier too, in December 2018, the Chief Operating Officer of Apollo Hospital Subbiah Viswanathan, had told the Inquiry Commission led by Justice (retired) A Arumghaswamy investigating the death of the former AIADMK chief that the CCTV cameras were occasionally turned off following instructions of the then government. 

TNM has earlier reported that the only CCTV footage that has come out in public domain was released by TTV Dhinakaran camp ahead of the RK Nagar byepolls. Incidentally the Supreme Court had stayed the proceedings of the inquiry commission in April 2019 based on a plea by Apollo.

The Apollo doctors had skipped summons issued by this Inquiry Commission in September, 2018. At that time the COO was warned of legal consequences for skipping the summons. 

Initially the commission was given a mandate to submit a report within a month. Subsequently the commission was given an extension of another two months.