The Tamil Nadu government has decided to take action against eight persons in connection with the death of former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, accepting the recommendations of the Arumughaswamy Commission which probed the treatment given to her.

In accordance with the Commission report which found “lapses” by the eight persons, the government has asked for legal opinion to proceed further in the matter against Jayalalithaa’s aide Sasikala, former minister in AIADMK rule C. Vijayabhaskar, former chief secretary P. Rama Mohana Rao, former Health secretary J Radhakrishnan, chief of Apollo Group Hospitals Dr Pratap C Reddy, and three doctors who attended on her — Dr KS Sivakumar, Dr YVC Reddy and Dr Babu Abraham.

Advertisement

The Commission which began its probe in November 2017 has pinpointed several faults, including alteration of the date and time of death from December 4, 2016, to December 5, 2016, refusal to conduct angio, not flying Jayalalithaa abroad for treatment at a reputed global hospital for cardiac surgery “which could have saved her life”.

The report also blamed Sasikala for maintaining secrecy about the ailments and treatment being given to the former CM. It noted that CCTV cameras on the floor where Jayalalithaa was undergoing treatment had been switched off, and that Apollo hospital had given a false statement that Jayalalithaa had recovered and would be discharged shortly.

News of the death had been delayed for over a day though nurses and doctors were aware that she was dead, the report added.