Jayalalithaa Death Probe: Madras HC Seeks State Response Following The Arumughaswamy Commission Report

The Madras High Court has given the Tamil Nadu government a week to divulge the steps taken in response to the Arumughaswamy Investigation Commission Report.

The commission investigated the circumstances surrounding former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa’s hospitalization and death in 2016.

In 2022, the Commission suggested that investigations be initiated into several individuals, including Jayalalithaa’s aides Sasikala and former State Health Minister C. Vijayabhasker.

A division bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by RR Gopaljee, who sought a CBI investigation into the circumstances surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death.

Gopaljee stated in his PIL that the State Government had failed to take any effective action based on the Commission’s report.

Appearing on behalf of the State, Advocate General R Shunmughasundaram informed the bench that the report had been forwarded to the State Health Department because it contained “a lot of medical words and specifics of the therapy” administered to the late Chief Minister.

He requested time to receive instructions on the steps performed.

The division bench scheduled the matter for further hearing on March 27, 2023 and granted the State Government time to submit proper details on the matter.