© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry which probed the death of former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has indicted V K Sasikala, her close aide, and three others, including Jayalalithaa’s private physician Dr K S Sivakumar, then health secretary J Radhakrishnan and former health minister C Vijayabaskar.
The report, tabled in the Assembly Tuesday, also underlined the need to probe certain aspects of the death, including an alleged delay in angio / surgery procedures, and accused the Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, Pratap C Reddy, of not conveying the real information on Jayalalithaa’s condition to the public during her admission there.
But while it held Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s doctor (who is a relative of Sasikala), and the then health secretary and minister “at fault” over the decisions taken during the treatment, and lapses in reporting the same, the panel cleared Sasikala of any delay in hospitalisation of the former CM.
One of the major conspiracy theories surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death was about Sasikala’s role regarding this. The commission said it had gone through the submissions and evidence relating to the “circumstances and situations leading to the hospitalisation”, and “not found anything abnormal or unnatural in the conduct of the people, including Sasikala, at the house in taking adequate care to shift the late CM to Apollo Hospital promptly, without delay”.
The DMK government said it would “initiate appropriate action” based on the panel’s recommendations against “certain individuals”, after obtaining the opinion of legal experts.
The commission referred to one of the interviews given by Apollo Chairman Reddy in November 2016, while Jayalalithaa was in hospital, saying her infection was under control and that “the discharge depends on her decision”. It said his words were “far beyond the truth”, giving the impression that the late CM was out of danger and alright, requiring no more hospitalisation. “But the truth, as revealed by the medical records and evidence of the doctors discussed in this report very elaborately, was absolutely otherwise,” the panel said. “It is shocking that the head of such a world renowned hospital had made such an irresponsible statement to the Media. Was there any pressure upon him to make such a false statement?” it asked.
The commission also questioned the line of treatment, saying: “Dr Y V C Reddy and Dr Babu Abraham, who treated the late CM all along, though they invited doctors from Mumbai, the UK and the USA and got an opinion from them, apart from Apollo Hospital’s own doctor, suggesting angio / surgery, they successfully threw it to the wind under pressure by postponing it. Hence, investigation is to be ordered.”
The panel referred to a doctor suggesting early valve surgery for Jayalalithaa – “he has written it in the case sheet itself” – to raise doubts about the treatment decisions taken for the late CM and those behind it.
It went on to mention Dr Richard Beale who, the report said, saw Jayalithaa on October 1, 2016, and told her physician Sivakumar that an air ambulance could be arranged to shift her to the UK and that he could accompany her. Beale reportedly told the commission that a Dr Samin Sharma was called from the USA to examine the late CM, and he held that angio was necessary and that he himself was ready to perform it the same day. “However, the Apollo Team contacted Dr Richard Beale, intensivist, through video conference and he suggested that angio was not necessary at that stage and the same could be done later. Accordingly, Dr Samin Sharma… left for the US.”
The commission said Reddy did not just give “false” statements, he also held “briefings in his room often without disclosing the real fact regarding the heart ailments and the treatment to be given to the late CM”.
The commission sought an inquiry into the role played by Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao as well, suggesting “criminality” over him claiming “his signature in 21 forms on various dates for the procedural aspects”. “Hence, investigation is to be ordered.”
On the day of her death, the panel observed, Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest on December 4, 2016, and passed away at 3:50 pm. It said the CPR and sternotomy administered to her were futile, and a ploy to explain away the delay in the official declaration of her death.
AIADMK rebel leader O Panneerselvam was the first to speak about something fishy in Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation and death, seeking a probe. However, the report tabled on Tuesday also raised questions over the role of Panneerselvam, then a minister.
Calling him an “insider”, the report said: “A silent spectator, he fully knew what transpired at Apollo Hospital, especially the treatment episode, and he resorted to ‘Dharmayutham’ and also demanded a CBI inquiry, after losing his position.” This was a reference to how Panneerselvam used Jayalalithaa’s death to attack Sasikala after he was sidelined in the power game that followed.
On the AIIMS Medical Board report into Jayalalithaa’s death, the commission said it had considered it but noticed that the board had only copied the treatment summary and given an opinion. “For the above reasons, the commission could not accept the report of the Medical Board.”
Reached for a reaction regarding the report, an Apollo Hospitals spokesperson said they would get back. Former health secretary Radhakrishnan refused to comment.
