SC dismisses pleas for probe into Jayalalithaa’s death
06 Jan 2017
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain pleas seeking directions to the government to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe or a judicial investigation by a Supreme Court judge into the ''mysterious'' death of AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa.
A bench of Justices P C Ghose and R F Nariman said a similar petition is pending before the Madras High Court, and thus it can't pass any order in this regard.
"We are not inclined to entertain the matter as a similar one is already pending before the Madras High Court. The petitions are dismissed," the bench said.
The apex court, besides Rajya Sabha MP and expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala Pushpa's plea, also dismissed a writ petition of a non-government organisation on similar lines.
Pushpa had moved the Supreme Court on 18 December alleging 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".
She 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.
A similar plea was filed by Tamil Nadu Telugu Yuva Sakthi claiming that doubts have been raised over the circumstances of the AIADMK leader's death and her medical reports needed to be examined by experts.
Secrecy maintained by the Tamil Nadu government during the treatment of its late chief minister has raised several questions. Nobody was allowed access to Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospital and many dignitaries who visited her were denied an opportunity to convey their wishes in person.
Jayalalithaa was declared dead on 5 December after 75 days of hospitalisation.
The Madras High Court had on 29 December issued notices to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state and central governments over appointment of a committee to go into the medical records relating to treatment given to Jayalalithaa.