Jaya death panel commission to submit report soon

Over 150 witnesses have so far appeared before an inquiry commission probing the circumstances surrounding late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death and its work is all set to be completed soon, more than four years after it was constituted.

V K Sasikala’s affidavit of 2018 and submissions of doctors of the Apollo Hospitals that treated the late AIADMK supremo formed the pivot on which the panel largely revolved to find answers to questions on the leader’s death.

In the process, as many as 158 witnesses have deposed before the commission, which includes Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa and nephew Deepak, doctors, top officials and AIADMK’s C Vijayabaskar, M Thambi Durai, C Ponnaiyan and Manoj Pandian. Deepa and Deepak had raised doubts over circumstances surrounding their aunt’s death.

Over 100 witnesses were cross examined and this includes those by counsel for Sasikala and the hospital’s advocate on matters having a bearing on treatment to Jayalalithaa.