Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016, after a 75-day long stay at Apollo hospitals in Chennai.
In a new twist in the mystery surrounding former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's death, state Law Minister C Ve Shanmugham on Monday claimed that the AIADMK supremo would have been alive if she was given proper care and taken to abroad for treatment.
"There is a mystery regarding Jayalalithaa's death. So a special investigation team should be set to probe her death. Besides, a case of suspicious death should be registered and all those involved should be investigated," he said.
Jayalalithaa died on December 5, 2016, after a 75-day long stay at Apollo hospitals in Chennai.
Shanmughan wanted the government to probe the background of Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan for not taking Jayalalithaa to abroad for treatment. "The Centre offered to provide an air ambulance to take her abroad for treatment, but she was not taken abroad. Dr Radhakrishnan has told the commission that if Jayalalithaa was taken abroad for treatment, Indian doctors would have lost their prestige and respect. The government should inquire into the background of Radhakrishna who being a doctor himself wanted the to protect the image of doctors here than saving the life of the chief minister," he said.
His charge comes days after the standing counsel of the Justice Arumughaswamy commission filed a petition seeking to implead Tamil Nadu Health Secretary and former chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao as respondents and alleged Radhakrishnan colluded and conspired with Apollo Hospital to provide inappropriate treatment to the late chief minister.
Shanmugam also alleged that three doctors opined in favour of conducting angiogram on Jayalalithaa but it was not done. "We wanted to know the truth who prevented the hospital from conducting angiogram despite the doctor's advice? Who wanted her dead?" he asked. He also said that former chief secretary P Rama Mohana Rao lied to the commission that the Tamil Nadu cabinet rejected the proposal to take Jayalalithaa abroad for treatment. "The cabinet did not meet when she was hospitalised," he said.
Pointing to the commission's standing counsel has filed a petition seeking to implead the health secretary and former chief secretary as respondents, the Law Minister said that the commission should immediately file an interim report. "The commission's probe will not bring out all the truth. So the government should immediately set up a special investigation team after registering a case of suspicious death. All those involved should be taken into police custody and investigated," he demanded.
Radhakrishnan has declined to the comment on the Minister's charges against him. He told reporters on December 20 - after deposing before the commission - that Jayalalithaa did not wish to travel abroad for treatment. "As far as I know, after she regained consciousness, she did not wish to go abroad. Then, in the end, there was an unexpected heart attack on the 4th. The Commission has asked details on all this, including the veracity of these details.
As far as we know, we have given the details," he had said.
Apollo Hospitals strongly objected to the standing counsel's claims through a press statement. The counsel submitted that the failure to perform an angiogram in time on Jayalalithaa led to the deterioration of her health, suggesting collusion.
The commission has now summoned Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to depose before it on January 7 and 8, respectively.
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