In a major political twist, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK party coordinator O Paneerselvam, who first sought a detailed probe over the death of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has now said that there is no doubt over her death. He appeared before the Justice Arumugasamy commission on Tuesday, March 22, for his second day of inquiry. He has also said that there was no conspiracy in connection to Jayalalithaa’s death by either VK Sasikala or her family. He was questioned for around six hours on Tuesday, March 22.
It was Panneerselvam, who as the then Chief Minister, first proposed the idea of a judicial inquiry into the death of Jayalalithaa on February 8, 2017. This was a day after proclaiming ‘Dharma Yuddham,’ after meditating at Chennai’s Marina Beach. Panneerselvam had raised several allegations, including that he was not allowed to meet Jayalalithaa during her 75-day hospitalisation period and that he had asked Apollo Hospital to take the CM abroad for treatment. In August 2017, the AIADMK government announced the one-man inquiry commission to probe the death of the late Chief Minister.
However, in a turn of events on Tuesday, Panneerselvam said that he personally did not have “any suspicion about Jayalalithaa's death” and that “there were doubts in people's minds. I was only reflecting that.” When asked about his statement during an interview to a news channel wherein he sought to set up a commission to look into the allegations against Sasikala, he said that he stood by the remarks, and added that he still has respect and regard for her.
He also stated that three senior ministers were asked to see Jayalalithaa before her ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) ventilator was pulled out. He added that he did not remember if the then Tamil Nadu Governor “came to Apollo Hospital and went without seeing her” when she was on the ventilator.
In addition to his statements, he was also subjected to cross-examination by Sasikala’s counsel Raja Senthoor Pandian.
Earlier on Monday, OPS had deposed to the commission that he was not aware of the reason for which Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital. He had also claimed that he was not aware of any other health conditions, except that she had diabetes, and added that he received updates about her health only through the then Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar.
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. On August 17 that year, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami announced the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry into her death.
The Supreme Court had stayed the proceedings of the commission on April 26, 2019, after Apollo Hospitals, where the late Chief Minister spent her last days, had filed a petition challenging the scope of the inquiry. After the stay was vacated, the commission resumed its inquiry on March 7.
A panel of doctors from AIIMS, New Delhi joined the inquiry through video conferencing. Ten doctors and one technical assistant from Apollo Hospitals have already deposed before the Justice Arumugasamy Commission. The commission is likely to submit its report soon after the last leg of inquiry, which is currently taking place.
After the commission resumed sitting, the lawyer representing VK Sasikala said that former Health Minister Vijayabaskar and Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan must be called for deposition. The advocate said that both Vijayabaskar and Radhakrishnan were in the know of all the treatments given to the late Chief Minister.
In 2019, Panneerselvam, then Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, informed the legislative house that he would “speak the truth” before the commission.
According to news reports, the commission questioned Panneerselvam on three issues — the suspicions he raised, his constant presence at the hospital and the positions he held, including the portfolios of Jayalalithaa, during the former CM’s hospitalisation. In Sasikala’s affidavit before the commission, she had mentioned that when Jayalalithaa was wheeled out once for a diagnostic test, Panneerselvam was among those standing nearby.
(With inputs from agencies)