The management of Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, where late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa received treatment for 75 days before her demise in December 2016, has informed the Madras High Court on Thursday that they have no biological samples left of her. The court has been hearing 37-year-old Amrutha Sarathy’s petition seeking ways to establish her relationship with Jayalalithaa via a DNA test.
In its counter affidavit, the hospital said, "..the late Hon'ble Chief Minister's medical condition was challenging to treat due to the multiple co-morbidities. In view of the same all biological samples collected from her were used to run a battery of tests to rule out and/or confirm various medical conditions. I respectfully state that all biological samples collected from the late Hon'ble Chief Minister was used up completely during her treatment period. I respectfully submit that no biological samples belongings to the late Hon'ble Chief Minister are available with the Hospital as on date."
Bengaluru-based Amrutha Sarathy had earlier claimed that she is the biological daughter of Jayalalithaa. As Jayalalithaa had fostered only one son (Sudhakar) in her lifetime, Amrutha’s claim was met with raised eyebrows. Explaining the secrecy of her birth, Amrutha claimed in her petition that an understanding was reached between Jayalalithaa and her aunts (who revealed the “truth” to her in March last year) in order to “uphold the dignity of the family as they belong to a very religious, orthodox and cultured Brahmin family.”
Amrutha wanted to settle the matter of her relationship with Jayalalithaa with a DNA test. She petitioned the court, asking for Jayalalithaa’s body to be exhumed for the same. She also wanted the body of the late Chief Minister, who lies buried at the Marina beach in Chennai, to be cremated according to customary Brahmin rituals. The court denied her requests.
In December last year, the court has asked the government if there are blood samples of Jayalalithaa from her period of hospitalisation at Apollo Hospitals between September and December 2016, which can be used for a DNA test to establish maternity.
The hospital also stated, "A detailed report of the medical treatment rendered to the Hon'ble Late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is set out in the Discharge Summary dated 07.12.2016 which was handed over to the State Government, on its request, on 06.03.2017. The State Government had circulated the Discharge Summary and it is now available in the public domain."