CHENNAI: PS Raman, a senior counsel representing Apollo Hospitals, strongly advocated the hospital’s charge that the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry is biased in its approach. When arguments resumed on Tuesday, he told a division bench of Justices R Subbiah and Krishnan Ramaswamy that the hospital’s writ petition challenging the Commission ’s proceedings is not a premature one, as claimed by the panel in its affidavit.
He alleged that the Commission is prejudiced towards the hospital. “It very often summoned the doctors, who are otherwise busy with their patients. If they failed to be present, it issued letters to the Chairman and managing director and other directors of the hospital asking them to send the doctors, as it had received several crores of rupees for providing treatment to the former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, which is objectionable,” said Raman.
He also alleged that the Commission was leaking information to the media. The hospital came to know things first only from the media. In this connection he pointed out a news item with regard to the food bill for `1.17 crores. The news appeared with the heading - Jaya Food Bill `1.17 crore by Apollo. Commission secretary herself released the bill to make it appear that it was the food bill of the late Chief Minister, he argued, wondering as to how the bill could be released to the media.
The bill includes the food and other items served to several secretaries of the various government departments and menial servants of Jayalalithaa and other family members and 200 policemen, who were on duty, for 76 days. The bill itself was published in detail in the media at the instance of the secretary, counsel said.
Even the confidential letter, written by the Commission to the hospital CMD, was released to the media, before it reached him. The letter was published in verbatim in a newspaper, he claimed and wondered “How does all this appear in the media the next day itself.” Reiterating his stand that the Commission was prejudiced and predetermined, he further alleged that its questions and averments finding fault with the hospitals’ endeavour in providing quality treatment to the former Chief Minister, vouched for the allegation. Arguments will continue on Wednesday.