Madras HC summons EC official over Jaya's thumb impression

The Madras High Court on Wednesday issued orders to the principal secretary of the Election Commission here to appear before it on October 6 for giving an explanation on former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's thumb impression on documents in connection with the Thiruparankundram byelection last year.

DMK candidate Saravanan, who contested in the Thiruparankumdram bypoll, in his petition raised doubts about the Jayalalithaa's thumb impression in poll-related documents.

Jayalalithaa affixed her left thumb impression on form A and form-B papers for Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thiruparankundram bypolls when she was hospitalised last year, with government doctor P Balaji attesting it and Dr Babu K Abraham, employed in the Apollo Hospitals, signing as a witness.

Jayalalithaa, who was in Apollo Hospitals during October 2016, had an inflamed right hand as she had undergone tracheostomy, a surgery that creates an opening in the trachea with a tube inserted to provide a passage for air.

Soon after the Election Commission approved the affidavit, AIADMK contestant A K Bose went on to contest and secured victory in the Thiruparankumdram election.

Petitioner Saravanan also claimed that the poll panel had violated the rules by authorising the doctors attending to the AIADMK chief to attest her thumb impression.

Saravanan, in his plea,  further argued that after the attestation, Bose contested on the "Two Leaves" (the AIADMK's poll symbol) under the "defective form A and form B, which had materially affected the outcome of the election".