Sasikala brother: Jayalalithaa died on December 4, hospital delayed news by a dayTNN | Updated: Jan 18, 2018, 06:49 IST



 
TRICHY/CHENNAI: V Divaharan, brother of jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, dropped a bombshell on Wednesday when he said that former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had passed away on December 4, 2016. 

The administration of Apollo Hospitals, where she was treated, had announced her death only the following day fearing for the safety of the hospital, he alleged at a public meeting at Mannargudi in Tiruvarur.

Divaharan, who was speaking at a public meeting organised as part of the birth centenary celebrations of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran claimed that 'Amma' had passed away exactly at 5.15pm on December 4, 2016 and that he reached the hospital the same night after receiving the information. "Even then, Amma was kept on ventilator. When I inquired with Reddy, he asked me to ensure the safety and security of the hospital. Only then could he declare (her death)", Divaharan said.

Minutes later Apollo Hospitals issued a statement denying Divaharan's claims. "It is unfortunate that unnecessary confusion is being created based on certain misinformation about the date and time of the demise of our former chief minister Selvi J Jayalalithaa, who had expired on December 5, 2016," the four-paragraph statement said.

Jayalalithaa, who was admitted to the hospital on September 22, 2016, suffered a cardiac arrest on December 4.

TTV distances himself from uncle's comment

For more than 24hours, Apollo Hospitals and the government said she was on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and life support systems. She was declared dead on December 5 at 11.30pm.

"During the course of treatment, all clinical protocols and norms were followed. The unfortunate declaration of death was done as per standard clinical protocols," the statement said. Distortion of facts would be unjust to all care-givers and experts, both from India and abroad, it added. "There is a process of inquiry which is being conducted by an eminent body to go through all the facts leading to her demise. We would like the matter to be clarified at the earliest in the interest of truth and justice.".

Rebel AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran has distanced himself from the statement of his uncle V Dhivakaran that Jayalalithaa died on December 4, a day before she was officially declared dead. Talking to reporters in Coimbatore on Wednesday, Dhinakaran said, "I don't know about it. Apollo should clarify it,'' Dhinakaran said in a cryptic reply to a query on Dhivakaran's claim.