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The Madras High Court on Friday issued notice to the state Government seeking its response as to why the Justice A Arumughaswamy commission constituted to inquire into the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalitha should not should not be directed to file its final report within the next three months.

The bench comprising Chief Justices Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy listing the matter for next hearing on August 13 said “The State should indicate why the relevant Commission should not be directed to file its final report and wind up its business within the next three month”.

The bench was hearing a plea seeking filed by Advocate Thondan Subramani seeking directions to the Commission to wind up the inquiry since public money was being wasted on the Commission which could not carry out the probe due to the stay order of the Supreme Court.

The petitioner stated that it was unlikely that the Commission would submit its report in the future since the state government had not taken any initiative to approach the Supreme Court against the stay order.

Justice A Arumughaswamy commission was set up on August 25, 2017, to inquire into the mysterious death of the former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The Commission was supposed to complete its enquiry and submit a report within three months from the date of notification of the order. However, extension of time was sought by the commission time and again.  

Thereafter the management of Apollo Hospitals, where the Chief Minister had died, filed a plea before the Supreme Court regarding the correctness of the commission’s inquiry, particularly into the adequacy of the medical treatment provided to her.

The Supreme Court on April 26, 2019 had stayed the proceedings of the Commission with the observation that the Commission should inquire only what the state government asked.

Case Title: Thondan Subramani v. The State of Tamil Nadu and ors