Chennai - 'Right to live is a Fundamental Right. Public should know what has happened'
Published: Thu 29 Dec 2016, 12:50 PM
Last updated: Thu 29 Dec 2016, 3:28 PM
Expressing doubts over the circumstances leading to death of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, a Madras High Court judge indicated that he may order exhumation of the body after a plea before the court sought a probe by an inquiry commission or a fact-finding committee.
Justice S Vaidyanathan, who was heading a two-judge vacation bench, said the public should know what has happened.
His observations came when the bench, also comprising Justice V Parthiban, was hearing the PIL filed by an AIADMK worker P A Joseph seeking an inquiry commission or a fact- finding committee to probe the circumstances leading to the death of Jayalalithaa.
"After the demise, everybody has a right to question. I personally have a doubt.
"One day it was told that she is walking, another day you said that she will come out and suddenly what happened. Even with regard to the health of late Chief Minister MGR, video was released," Justice Vaidyanathan said.
When a special mention was made before the bench by senior counsel KM Vijayan who argued on the plea, Advocate General Muthukumaraswamy said there is no mystery in the death.
Justice Vaidyanathan asked the AG, "What is that you say.
Right to live is a Fundamental Right. Public should know what has happened."
"Even relations were not allowed to see and they are also not before the court now. I personally find in case if I have doubt I may order exhumation of the body of deceased and you have not told anything when she was alive," the judge said.
Turning to counsel J Madanagopala Rao, who appeared on behalf of Union Government, the Judge said: "You went there.
You have not reported anything. You know everything. But not reported anything for the reasons best known to you. You kept quiet."
The bench said, "We also saw in newspapers that the chief minister was recovering, and that she was eating, signing papers and even conducting meetings. And then suddenly she was dead."
The bench then recorded the acceptance of notice by counsel for Union Government on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministries of Home, Law and Parliamentary Affairs and CBI and posted the matter for further hearing to January 9.
A new controversy erupted after reports that hacker group Legion had hacked the server of Apollo Hospital Chennai, where former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had undergone treatment and where she had died.
In an interview with The Washington Post on Monday - through an encrypted instant-messaging software, "Legion" said the group has access to servers like that of Apollo Hospitals and it was unsure about releasing data from those servers because it might cause "chaos" in India.
|
The PIL had sought a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into "questionable incidents", including Jayalalithaa's sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery and the cardiac arrest resulting in her death on December 5.
The PIL listed the sequence of events since Jayalalithaa's admission to Apollo Hospitals here on September 22 and claimed that the "secrecy" preceding her death gave rise to "grave doubts" in the minds of the people.
Why is Jayalalithaa so popular in Tamil Nadu
Jayalalithaa: From film star to Tamil Nadu CM
Sasikala set to become AIADMK chief
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said V.K. Sasikala, a close aide of the Jayalalithaa, has agreed to take charge as the AIADMK's next General Secretary.
Disclosing this to the media, Panneerselvam said that Sasikala would soon formally assume charge as the party's General Secretary.
Earlier in the day, the ruling AIADMK passed a resolution that Sasikala was the only person fit to become the party's General Secretary.
According to the party constitution, a General Secretary has to be elected by the basic members in Tamil Nadu and the office-bearers of party wings in Puducherry, New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Andaman.
The ruling party also said it would work under the leadership of Sasikala. The council also passed a resolution condoling the death of Jayalalithaa.
Later, Panneerselvam took a copy of the General Council resolution to Sasikala, who is residing at Jayalalithaa's residence in Poes Garden here.
iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
