Jaya's death: Inquiry panel to submit report in 3 months

Chennai:  An inquiry commission, set up by the Tamil Nadu government to probe former chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s death, will look into the circumstances leading to her hospitalisation last year and subsequent treatment, the government has said.

The commission shall submit its report in three months, it said. A public (SC) department Government Order (GO) dated September 27 said Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, in excercise of the powers conferred under relevant sections of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 (Central Act LX of 1952), issued the following terms of reference of the commission.

“To inquire into the circumstances and situation leading to the hospitalisation of the late Hon’ble Chief Minister (Jayalalithaa) on 22.9.2016 and subsequent treatment provided till her unfortunate demise” on December 5, 2016, it said. The state government had on Monday announced setting up of the inquiry commission to probe and submit a report on the death of Jayalalithaa.

The probe was a key demand of the then rebel AIADMK faction led by O Panneerselvam as a pre-condition for the merger of his camp with that of Chief Minister K Palaniswami. The two factions had merged on August 21. Another GO, dated September 25 and released by the government yesterday, said the Commission “shall complete its enquiry and submit its report (both English and Tamil) to the Government within a period of three months from the date of publication of this notification in the Tamil Nadu Gazette (ie. September 25)”.