HC dismisses plea for CBI probe into Jaya's death, imposes costs on petitioner

The Madras High Court today dismissed a plea seeking a CBI probe into the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and imposed Rs 50,000 as costs on a petitioner, saying it was filed on frivolous grounds.

The fact remains that an inquiry commission, headed by a retired high court judge, has been appointed by the Tamil Nadu government to probe Jayalalithaa's death, Justice P N Prakash said while dismissing the petition.

"The present petition has been filed on frivolous grounds. The petition is dismissed by imposing a cost of Rs 50,000 to the petitioner payable to the Legal Services Authority of High Court, Chennai," the judge said.

Petitioner M Ramanathan alleged that mystery shrouds the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's death in December 2016 and it should to be investigating by an autonomous agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The petitioner said he had earlier sent a request to the Union home secretary, the state chief secretary and the home secretary for a CBI probe into the issue.