Jaya probe panel orders Apollo to submit CCTV footage by Sept 25

Apollo Hospitals Chief Operating Officer (COO) Subbiah Viswanathan has been ordered by the commission to hand over the footage. 

The CCTV footage of Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation has become a subject of contention over the course of the enquiry. 

Earlier this month, Subbiah was sent summons to depose before the commission. Appearing before it, he stated that the CCTV cameras remained turned off whenever Jayalalithaa was shifted between different wards on the orders of a government official. 

He also said that he is uncertain if the hospital made attempts to preserve the footage since it has been close to two years since her hospitalisation. 

It was earlier stated by Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy that all cameras were turned off during Jayalalithaa’s stay at the hospital. 

Former Inspector General (Intelligence Services) K N Sathyamurthy who appeared before the commission in July stated that the decision to remove all the CCTV cameras in the premises during the Chief Minister’s hospitalisation was not made by the intelligence wing. He stated that he was unaware who made the decision to remove the cameras.

Jayalalithaa spent 75 days at the hospital following her admission on September 22, 2016, after taking ill at her residence in Poes Garden. She passed away on December 5, 2016.  

The commission is set to submit its final report on October 24 this year.