CHENNAI: It appears that unless the body of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa is exhumed, the mystery surrounding her death would not come to an end, a vacation bench of the Madras High Court observed on Thursday.
"I too personally have a doubt (on the issue). Nothing has come out even after her demise," Justice S Vaidyanathan wondered in his oral remarks.
The bench of Justices Vaidyanathan and V Parthiban made the oral observations, while hearing a PIL from advocate PA Stalin, a primary member of the AIADMK, who relied on the precedent set by the Calcutta High Court in 1999 directing constitution of a one man commission of a retired Supreme Court judge to probe into death of ‘Netaji’ Subhash Chandra Bose.
He prayed for the appointment of a similar commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 to find out the truth behind late chief minister’s untimely and mysterious death.
The bench, however, after ordering notices to the authorities concerned, referred the matter to the Chief Justice in view of the serious issues involved in it.
The judges observed that after demise of former chief minister MGR, his photographs taken during the treatment was released. In Jaya's case, no photograph was issued. Even her relatives were not permitted to see her in the hospital. All this lead to nurture a doubt with regard to the death of the former CM in the minds of the generalpublic, the judge said and added that if the matter gets posted again
to the bench, it may order exhumation of the body.