Jayalalitha's death was mysterious: O Panneerselvam

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said on Thursday that former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's death was mysterious and that he had not seen her when she was hospitalised.

"Yes, I had said Amma's (Jayalalithaa) death was mysterious. So I asked for an investigation. I had not seen her when she was hospitalized," he said in the state Assembly.

Panneerselvam said that officials of Arumughaswamy Commission, set up to go into the death, called him four times but he could not go as he was busy with work.

"They (Arumughaswamy Commission) called me four times but I could not go due to work, I will definitely go next time," he said.

His statement comes days after the Supreme Court on July 1 allowed the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking more time to file a reply in a case related to the probe into the death of former chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa.

The apex court had on April 26 stayed the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission probe into the death of Jayalalithaa on an appeal by Apollo Hospitals against an order of the Madras High Court.