Sasi’s lawyers demand removal of death probe panel secretary

CHENNAI: The Justice Arumughaswamy commission probing the circumstances surrounding former chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s death on Thursday received a complaint from the legal team of V K Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s aide, demanding the removal of the panel’s secretary Komala as her husband R V Babu, an advocate, was a confidante of deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, and feared that she could tamper with the evidence.
Raja Senthoor Pandian, Sasikala’s counsel, told TOI that the complaint stated that Komala could become biased because of her husband’s political affiliation. Though she was in an administrative position, there was a chance she may favour someone and should not be allowed to continue, Senthoor Pandian said, quoting from the complaint.
Babu, whose photograph felicitating OPS’s close aide and AIADMK leader Manoj Pandian was admitted as evidence in the commission on Tuesday, was one of the 14 advocates who appeared for OPS, E Madhusudhanan and Semmalai in the Election Commission case, Senthoor Pandian said. “Incorrect information regarding proceedings in the commission have been provided to the media 17 hours after a video of Jayalalithaa in the hospital was submitted to the commission. We suspect she was behind it,” Senthoor Pandian said.
Komala told TOI it would not be right for her to comment on the issue.
Dr Senthilkumar, who was overseeing Jayalalithaa’s treatment in the Critical Care Unit (CCU), was examined by the commission on Thursday. Sources said Senthilkumar responded to OPS’s charge that Jayalalithaa wasn’t taken to US for treatment.
“He said such a shift can be made only if the relatives or the patient agreed. Jayalalithaa was in no position to be moved till October 3. Later a discussion was held with the ministers who said Amma [Jayalalithaa] will not agree to be shifted. Expert doctor Richard Beale had a personal discussion with Jayalalithaa who said she did not want to be shifted,” a source quoted Dr Senthilkumar as deposing.
Senthilkumar also said Jayalalithaa was recovering well before suffering sudden cardiac death (SCD) which studies in a European journal showed as occurring in onethird of patients with similar cases.
“There is no explanation for this. I was upset, but not surprised,” the source quoted the doctor as saying.