I didn’t order to shut CCTV at Apollo, reiterates Intelligence Wing chief

The missing CCTV footage from Jayalalithaa’s hospitalisation has been a point of contention throughout the ongoing probe into her death. There is no footage from the time of her hospitalisation which lasted 75 days from her admission to her demise.

Over the course of the hearing, it emerged that though Apollo Hospitals had working CCTV cameras in common areas of the hospital, they had been switched off on official orders.

The footage from the night of her hospitalisation has also been lost as the hospital server only had the capacity to store the footage for 30 days after which it is taped over.

During his deposition before the commission on June 28, Sathiyamurthy had stated that he was unaware of who issued orders for the CCTV cameras in the common areas to be switched off. Though the intelligence wing was in-charge of the floor on which Jayalalithaa received treatment, there were reports of several lapses including visitor log book not being maintained.

When Apollo was ordered to submit an affidavit regarding the CCTV, its management stated that four security officers S Palanisamy, Sudhakar, R Veeraperumal and K N Sathiyamurthy issued orders to turn off the CCTV cameras when Jayalalithaa was being shifted within the hospital.

The hospital claimed that they were told to do so in the interest of protecting Jayalalithaa’s privacy.

Meanwhile, the State Government has accepted the request of the one-man enquiry commission to appoint a Police Inspector to go over the testimonies of witnesses and police complaints lodged in connection with the demise of Jayalalithaa. Director General of Police T K Rajendran has issued orders for the appointment.