Jaya’s ‘last voice’, ‘handwritten menu’ out

Chennai: The Justice Arumughaswamy Commission probing the death of former chief minister Jayalalithaa has released an audio clip of her conversation with medical staff in Apollo hospital room as well as some elaborate diary jottings listing out her food and medicines while at home. The selective media ‘leak’, allegedly by the commission secretary, on Saturday triggered angry response from Opposition DMK leader M.K. Stalin, as well as V.K. Sasikala’s counsel Raja Senthoor Pandian questioning the timing of the ‘leak’ and alleging it was done to “divert public attention from the brutal police firing in Thoothukudi” that killed 13 protesters.

  Sources said the diary documents of Jayalalithaa were handed over to Arumughaswamy Commission by Sasikala’s nephew Dr Shivakumar who had been treating the former CM for quite some time, until she was rushed in ambulance to Apollo in a semi-conscious state on the night of September 22, 2016. She died of cardiac arrest on December 5.

The Jayalalithaa note, which sources insisted was in her own handwriting, begins with an elaborate Pillaiyar Chuzhi on August 2, 2016, and charts her diet and drugs from 4.55 a.m. till 7.15 pm. It starts with recording her weight (106.9 kg) and the blood sugar readings by the glucometre. The breakfast between 5.05 and 5.35 comprised one and a half idlis, four slices of bread, 400 ml of coffee and 230 ml of coconut water. This is followed by 200 ml of green tea at 5.45 a.m. There is Revive drink of 200 ml at about 8 am, an apple at 8.55 am and 120 ml of coffee at 9.40 am, besides five Bourbon biscuits.

The diary leaves, which carried the official seal of the Arumughaswamy Commission, also showed details of Jayalalithaa’s lunch and dinner, again in her own handwriting. One cup of Basmathi rice at 11.35 am, lunch during 2-2.35 pm consisting of Basmati rice (1-1/2 cups), yogurt (1 cup) and musk melon (1/2 bowl); followed by diabetes medicine Januvia (50 mg) at 2.45 pm. Coffee (200 ml) was served at 5.45 pm.