The Justice Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, constituted to probe into circumstances leading to the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, has found that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (AIADMK) leader O Panneerselvam did not have any doubt or suspicion over the cause of Jayalalitha's death.
This is despite the fact that it was O Panneerselvam who called for the formation of a commission to hold an Inquiry into the circumstances of Jayalalitha's death. "It was he who demanded for the constitution of a Commission to hold Inquiry. But in his evidence he has categorically stated that, to the best of his knowledge, he has no doubt/suspicion in the cause of death of the late CM as unnatural. To a specific query he has stated that he was not aware of the health condition of the late CM. and the doctors who attended on her," the Justice Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry report stated.
The report goes on to mention that Panneerselvam was unaware of the treatment given to Jayalalitha by the doctors examining her. "He was ignorant of the fact that she had a heart problem and that she was diagnosed with the same within four to five days of being admitted to the hospital. He does not know what the doctors had decided about that. He does not know what decision the doctors had made about Late C.M.'s heart ailments," the report stated.
Jayalalithaa, who was wheeled into the Apollo Hospitals on September 22, 2016, passed away on December 5 following a cardiac arrest she suffered the previous day. The 500-page commission report detailed the events that led to Jayalalithaa’s sudden hospitalisation and the subsequent treatment provided to her at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai.\
The former CM’s death triggered a massive outcry amongst her party colleagues, particularly Panneerselvam, raising doubts about the treatment given to her, hinting at potential foul play and pointing fingers at VK Sasikala's role.
The AIADMK government, which was in power, formed the commission as part of a deal negotiated by the party’s leader O Panneerselvam before the faction led by him - AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) - merged with that of Edappadi Palaniswami - AIADMK (Amma) - in 2017. After dodging the commission for years, Panneerselvam appeared before it only in March 2022 when he admitted that he had no suspicion “personally” over the death of the AIADMK supremo and that he was only “reflecting” public sentiments.
Watch: Did Arumughaswamy report on Jayalalithaa draw conclusions based on evidence?