CHENNAI: In a significant development, the Arumugasamy commission which has been inquiring into the death of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, on Thursday summoned deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and health minister C Vijayabaskar to appear before it.
According to sources, the probe panel headed by retired Madras High Court judge Arumughaswamy has summoned Panneerselvam to appear before it on December 20. Vijayabaskar has been summoned for an appearance on December 18.
Earlier, the probe panel asked Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan to depose before the commission on December 14.
The former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was hospitalised in Apollo hospitals on September 22, 2016. After undergoing treatment for 75 days she was declared dead on December 5, 2016.
Raising suspicious over medical treatments provided to Jayalalithaa during hospitalisation, a detailed enquiry into the circumstances around Jayalalithaa's death was one of the main conditions laid by Pannerselvam before the merger of rebel camp with the ruling party.
Subsequently, on September 25, 2017, the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaiswamy appointed retired High Court Arumughaswamy commission to an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
The commission so far inquired about 150 witnesses in connection with the death of Jayalalithaa.