VK Sasikala, Apollo Hospital's chairman summoned over J Jayalalithaa's death

The Justice Arumughasamy Commission that is probing the circumstances leading to the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, on Friday summoned her aide VK Sasikala, Apollo Hospital's Chairman Pratap Reddy and executive vice chairperson Preetha Reddy two days after a video of the late AIADMK chief sitting in the hospital bed sipping tea was released to the media.

The commission has given a 15-day period for Sasikala, who is serving a four-year imprisonment in a Bengaluru prison in a corruption case, to submit her response within 15 days while the top executives of the Apollo hospitals were asked to reply within 10 days.

Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital on September 22 last year and passed away on December 5, 2016. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who rebelled against the Sasikala-led AIADMK, raised doubts over the circumstances leading to Jayalaltihaa's hospitalisation and alleged that none of the AIADMK leaders and ministers including him were allowed to see her during the 75-day long stay in the hospital. After Panneerselvam merged his faction with the ruling AIADMK, the Edappadi K Palanisami government constituted an one-man commission headed by retired judge Arumughasamy.

The commission, whose three months term was extended by another six months on Friday, began its hearing on November 22. Several people, including IAS officials, doctors, Jayalalithaa's niece J Deepa and nephew J Deepak and Madurai- based DMK functionary P Saravanan have deposed before it so far.