Govt doctor deposes before panel probing Jayalalithaa death

The doctor said the 15-minute procedure was done to prevent Jayalalithaa’s body from deteriorating.

A government doctor, who led the embalming procedure to preserve J Jayalalithaa’s body, on Wednesday deposed before a one-man commission probing her hospitalisation and death.

People paying their respects to the late AIADMK supremo and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa on her first death anniversary at her memorial near shores of Marina in Chennai. (PTI File Photo)

Dr Sudha Seshaiyan, vice principal of Madras Medical College, appeared before the Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry here in response to summons issued by it to her recently.

Later, she told reporters that she apprised the panel of the embalming procedure that was done for Jayalalithaa.

The 15-minute procedure was done to prevent the body from deteriorating and these aspects were brought to the notice of the commission, she said.

Seshaiyan had said in February last that normal embalming procedure was followed to preserve the body Jayalalithaa, who passed away on December 5, 2016.

The commission of inquiry was constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to go into the circumstances surrounding the hospitalisation and death of Jayalalithaa and commenced its hearing on November 22 last year.

Several persons, including IAS officials, doctors, Jayalalithaa’s niece J Deepa and nephew J Deepak and Madurai- based DMK functionary P Saravanan, have deposed before it so far.

Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran yesterday submitted to the panel, through his advocate, a pen drive reportedly containing some videos of Jayalalithaa during the hospitalisation.

Also, jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala’s niece Krishnapriya deposed before the commission yesterday for about four hours.

The state government set up the probe panel in the backdrop of various views expressed by several persons regarding Jayalalithaa’s death.