Amma was unwell, saw her thrice at hospital: Driver

Chennai: Late chief minister J Jayalalithaa did not feel well on September 21 2016, a day before she was admitted to Apollo Hospitals, even as she was inaugurating the Chennai metro rail function and new buses via video-conferencing, her driver of 25 years Ayappan said on Thursday. She asked to go home directly without going to her chamber, he said, adding that he had seen her three times during treatment and that she was doing good.
Ayappan made these statements after emerging from a 3-hour deposition before the Justice (retd) Arumughasamy commission, which is probing the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death.

“She didn’t feel well and left the secretariat to go home. Next day (22nd) morning, my duty was over. At 10:10pm, the same day, I was informed that she was admitted to the hospital. I was asked to bring some of her belongings to the hospital. DGP Rajendran, chief secretary Rama Mohana Rao and P S Veeraperumal were there. Amma was speaking to Dr Sivakumar and others in the emergency ward, she had recovered by then (at 10:45pm),” Ayappan said.

Jaya was adamant that she did not want to be treated in the hospital, but was coaxed by Sasikala and Dr Sivakumar, Ayappan claimed. “The judge asked me if there were any injury marks on her head. I said no,” he said.

On the afternoon of November 19, she was shifted out of the emergency ward and I had seen her then, he said. When I went on December 4, she was already critical and I could not see her. Ayappan said he had seen Jaya’s body and dismissed rumours that her toes had been amputated. He also gave a clean chit to Sasikala, saying she had taken good care of Jayalalithaa.