Madras HC rejects plea to order CBI probe into Jaya's death

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Thursday held that the PIL petition seeking CBI probe into the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's death at a corporate hospital here in 2016, is not maintainable. The first bench of Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Krishnakumar, before which the petition from social and spiritual activist R RGopaljee came up for hearing on Thursday, dismissed the petition after directing him to exhaust the remedy of making representations to the CBI and other connected agencies.

According to petitioner, Justice Arumugasamy Inquiry Commission in its report submitted to the Tamil Nadu government on August 23 this year, had raised various questions of pertinence while finding certain persons to be involved in conspiracy, fault, lapse, criminality and ordered investigation to bring out the truth regarding the unfortunate demise of the former Chief Minister.

Amongst others, it had categorically stated that the whole line of treatment was shrouded in secrecy and there was lack of transparency, as much as there was no authentic and reliable disclosure of facts pertaining to her exact health condition and the course of treatment, which necessitated investigation.

The report had indicted the former CM's close friend V K Sasikala and ordered investigation of others involved in the treatment. It included the then Health minister C Vijayabaskar, Health secretary J Radhakrishnan, the then Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao and hospital chairman Dr Pratap C Reddy. The panel was constituted by the previous AIADMK government to probe the circumstances surrounding the death of Jayalalithaa.

The bench said that the petition is not maintainable, as the petitioner had not approached the CBI and others with representations before filing the PIL.