Apollo Hospitals on Thursday told the Madras High Court that, as on date, it was not in possession of any biological sample of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who was treated as an in-patient in the hospital at Greames Road here for 75 days, from September 22, 2016, till her death on December 5, 2016.
The submission was made in a counter-affidavit filed before Justice S. Vaidyanathan who was seized of a writ petition filed by Bengaluru-based S. Amrutha, 37, who claimed to be the biological daughter of Jayalalithaa and was prepared to prove her claim by undergoing a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) test.
The counter-affidavit filed by S.M. Mohan Kumar, manager-legal of Apollo Hospitals, stated that the former Chief Minister was accorded the best possible treatment by a team of experts and specialists from the hospital. The team consisted of senior cardiologists, respiratory physicians, endocrinologists and diabetologists.
A detailed report of the medical treatment rendered to her was set out in the discharge summary dated December 7, 2016, which was handed over to the State government, on its request, on March 6, 2017.
The State government had circulated the discharge summary and it was now available in the public domain, the hospital said.
Her “medical condition was challenging to treat due to multiple co-morbidities. In view of the same, all biological samples collected from her were used to run a battery of tests to rule out and/or confirm various medical conditions... All biological samples collected from her were used up completely during her treatment period.
“I respectfully submit that no biological samples belonging to the late Hon’ble Chief Minister are available with the hospital as on date,” the counter-affidavit, filed through counsel Maimoona Badsha, read.
After taking the counter-affidavit on file, the judge adjourned further hearing on the writ petition to June 4.
Sample from kin
However, during the brief arguments that ensued after the filing of the counter-affidavit, senior counsel V. Prakash, representing the petitioner, said that even blood samples of Jayalalithaa’s niece J. Deepa or nephew J. Deepak could be used to run the DNA test and find out the veracity of the claim made by the petitioner.
To this, the judge said that the court could not force either Ms. Deepa or Mr. Deepak to give their blood samples.
When the senior counsel of the petitioner referred to an order passed by Delhi High Court in 2011 directing senior Congress leader N.D. Tiwari to undergo a paternity test, Mr. Justice Vaidyanathan said that case could not be equated with the present case.
