P. Saravanan, the DMK functionary who unsuccessfully contested the Thiruparankundram bypoll last year, has urged the Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice A. Arumughaswamy to summon the then Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, sidelined AIADMK leader V. K. Sasikala among others, in connection with the inquiry over the death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
In an affidavit filed before the Commission on Wednesday, he also sought permission to cross-examine them. Mr. Saravanan had earlier disputed the authenticity of the thumb impression of AIADMK’s then general secretary Jayalalithaa affixed on the Form A and Form B of the party’s candidate A.K. Bose and had also moved the Madras High Court over the issue. Mr. Saravanan submitted that the press releases issued by the hospital and the treatment summary eventually released after Jayalalithaa’s death were contradictory.
Pointing out various incidents, which he claimed highlighted the inconsistencies in the statements made by officials, Mr. Saravanan urged the Commission of Inquiry to allow him to cross-examine them. Mr. Saravanan has mentioned the names of 15 individuals and others, including those involved in her treatment, those who prepared the treatment summary and those who were involved in the embalming.
He has named the then Governor Mr. Vidyasagar Rao, as he allegedly had claimed that he had interacted with Jayalalithaa and Sasikala at the Apollo Hospitals. He has also mentioned the names of Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, and former Ministers C. Ponnaiyan and E. Madhusudhanan. The names of some doctors from AIIMS and Apollo Hospitals and one from United Kingdom have also been mentioned.
Mr. Saravanan has also disputed the statements and claims made in the medical bulletins and press releases, and further questioned the veracity of the observations made in the treatment summary. It may be recalled that the State government had constituted the Commission of Inquiry under retired High Court judge A. Arumughaswamy to probe the circumstances and situations leading to the hospitalisation and death of Jayalalithaa.