Why can't her body be exhumed? Madras HC raises questions over Jayalalithaa's death

More than three weeks after the demise of former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, the Madras High Court on Thursday raised questions over the death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and asked why her body can't be exhumed.

"Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa's death," said Justice Vaidyanathan who was hearing a petition.

"When she was admitted in hospital, it was said that she was on proper diet. At least after her death now, truth should be revealed," Vaidyanathan said.

The judge also went on to say that the court could order the exhumation and post-mortem of Jayalalithaa’s body, reported The News Minute.

A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into “questionable incidents”, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery, and the cardiac arrest resulting in her death, around Jayalalithaa's death.

Petitioner PA Joseph, a city resident, listed the sequence of events since Jayalalithaa’s admission to Apollo Hospital here on September 22 and claimed that the “secrecy” preceding her death gave rise to “grave doubts” in the minds of the people.

The public interest litigation, which listed 12 respondents, including the Apollo Hospitals chairman, is likely to be taken up for hearing by the vacation bench of the court on December 29.

The petitioner pleaded that the commission must peruse all the records, reports and documents that are in possession of the government as well as the hospital and look into “several questionable incidents”, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery and the subsequent cardiac arrest resulting in her death on December 5.

(This report first appeared in DNA)