Jaya's niece files plea for taking part in probe commission's proceedings

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's niece J Deepa Thursday filed a plea in the Madras High Court to allow her counsel to take part in the proceedings of a commission probing the circumstances leading to her aunt's death.

In her petition, Deepa submitted that she had approached the Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission with an application to permit her to assist it. However, the commission on July 27 had disposed of her application with riders, she submitted.

It had noted that since she had been residing with her parents far away for decades, she would not be aware of many events which had taken place at the Poes Garden residence of the former chief minister as well as at the Apollo Hospitals and no purpose would be served in allowing her to assist the commission by engaging an advocate.

Deepa submitted she was the close blood relative of Jayalalithaa who died at Apollo Hospitals on December 5, 2016.

As mystery surrounded her death, the state government had constituted the commission, she submitted.

Deepa alleged that she was prevented from calling on her aunt and performing her duties as her niece at the hospital. She was prevented from participating even in the funeral ceremonies, she further alleged.

She said she was entitled to know under what circumstances and how her aunt had died.

Deepa sought quashing of the commission's order and grant of permission to her to represent and assist it during its proceedings through her counsel G Subramani.