SC dismisses petition seeking CBI inquiry into Jayalalithaa's death

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the petition seeking CBI inquiry into the death of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The petition was filed by the expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa, seeking a CBI probe or a judicial investigation by an apex court judge into the death of J Jayalalithaa.

An apex court bench headed by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and also comprising Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman dismissed the petition filed by Pushpa after not finding any merit in it. 

In her petition, Pushpa alleged that Jayalalithaa's death was "suspicious" as her actual medical condition was not disclosed, no one was allowed to visit her, her funeral photographs showed embalming marks and everything from her hospitalisation to her death "was kept under wraps".

The Rajya Sabha MP had sought directions to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government and Apollo Hospital, where Jayalalithaa was hospitalised, to disclose details of her health report and treatment in a sealed cover to the apex court.

Jayalalithaa, one of India’s most charismatic leaders, passed away on December 5, 2016, at 11:30 pm in Chennai. The 68-year-old had suffered a cardiac arrest.