VK Sasikala, a close confidante of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, on Tuesday rejected allegations levelled against her in a commission’s report probing circumstances surrounding AIADMK leader's death in 2016. Sasikala mentioned that she never interfered in any medical procedure nor did she deny taking Jayalalithaa abroad for treatment. She added she is ready to face inquiry in the case.

The Justice A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry (CoI) indicted Sasikala, medical doctor K S Sivakumar, former Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and the then Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and recommended a probe against them. The Tamil Nadu government, which tabled the CoI report in the Assembly on Tuesday said it would initiate action after getting legal opinion.

The probe panel said, they "have to be found fault with and investigation is to be ordered." Sasikala is indicted considering several aspects, it said. KS Sivakumar is her relative. The government said that it was decided to initiate appropriate action against "certain individuals," after obtaining the opinion of legal experts. This is in view of the CoI's recommendations in its report.

The panel recommended investigation against former State Chief Secretary Rama Mohana Rao and two medical doctors, Dr YVC Reddy and Dr Babu Abraham. It however, did not specify if it found "fault" with them or not.

The CoI's Terms of Reference (ToR) was to inquire into the circumstances leading to Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation on 22 September, 2016 and subsequent treatment provided in the hospital till her demise on 5 December, 2016. The CoI, in its 475-page report, goes into allegations of conspiracy against Jayalalithaa by Sasikala and her relatives. The panel said that it was very clear that, "only on strong suspicion," Jayalalithaa sent Sasikala out of her Poes Garden residence (from November 2011 to March 2012). Subsequently, after getting a letter from Sasikala that she would not interfere in politics, Jayalalithaa allowed her back into her Poes Garden residence and the leader kept her "at a distance."

Citing depositions of witnesses, the panel said that it is "inferable" that due to some strained relationship, Jayalalithaa would have asked Sasikala and her relatives to leave Poes Garden.

With inputs from PTI