Sasikala’s counsel points finger at the probe panel’s lawyer

Counsel for V.K. Sasikala, close aide of Jayalalithaa, on Friday asked why the lawyer representing the Justice A. Arumughaswamy Commission did not raise doubts over the decision of an AIIMS doctor not to perform angiogram on the late Chief Minister.

During the deposition of Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, Sasikala’s lawyer Raja Senthoor Pandian asked the Commission’s lawyer Mohd. Jafarullah Khan why he did not raise the question when Dr. Devagourou from AIIMS deposed. Instead, the Commission was trying to make the Health Scretary a scapegoat in the matter, he charged.

Mr. Khan, in an application last week, accused the Health Secretary and Apollo Hospitals of collusion in Jayalalithaa’s treatment. “Dr. Devagouru on December 19 had said Jayalalithaa had no heart problem, (hence) no angio was necessary. Dr. Radhakrishnan said his report too said the same thing but that he was unaware of the former’s submissions at the Commission,” Mr. Pandian said.

“It is not my intention that angio should not be done, nor was the procedure a part of Ms. Jayalalithaa’s treatment plan,” Mr. Pandian said, quoting Dr. Radhakrishnan’s deposition.

“If AIIMS doctors had said that angio needed to be done, we would have done it. But they said it’s not necessary,” he added, quoting again from the deposition.

‘Answered all questions’

Speaking to reporters following the hearing, Dr. Radhakrishnan said he had answered all questions put to him to the best of his knowledge, adding that he did not wish to comment further as the Commission was still conducting its hearing.

Mr. Pandian further said the Health Secretary submitted that he went to AIIMS to get Jayalalithaa’s medical reports on the directions of the Chief Secretary, and the approval of the Health Minister, as a representative of the Tamil Nadu government, and had addressed the media with the reports.

Meanwhile, State Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar is likely to depose before the Commission on January 10.