Palaniswami announces inquiry into Jaya’s death

Chennai, August 17 (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today announced a Commission of Inquiry to go into the death of J Jayalalithaa, eight months after her demise. Palaniswami also announced that Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence here will be turned into a memorial that will be run by the government. The announcements have virtually sealed the deal for merger with rebel leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam's AIADMK faction since these are his two key demands. The 68-year-old former chief minister and AIADMK supremo died following a cardiac arrest on December 5 after being in hospital for 75 days. Besides the formal expulsion of AIADMK interim chief V K Sasikala and her nephew deputy general secretary T T V Dhinakaran has also been sought by Panneerselvam. Flanked by senior cabinet colleagues, Finance Minister D Jayakumar, Forest Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan and Power Minister P Thangamani, Palaniswami told reporters that the Commission of Inquiry will be set up and headed by a retired judge of the Madras High Court. He said the name of the judge will be announced later. Hailing Jayalalithaa's contribution to Tamil Nadu, he said following representations from a cross-section of people, her residence at Poes Garden will be turned into a government memorial and opened for public viewing. Jayalalithaa was admitted to hospital on September 22.