Chennai: Former AIADMK minister Ponnaiyan, summoned by the Arumughaswamy Commission probing the circumstances leading to the death of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, today marked his attendance. But Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar, who was also asked to appear before the commission, gave it a skip.
Vijaya Baskar had informed the commission, led by retired judge Arumughaswamy, that he had prior personal commitments and would not be able to make an appearance. According to reports, the commission would issue fresh summons to the Health Minister to appear before it.
Vijaya Baskar has been grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation for the past few days in connection with the gutkha scam where he is alleged to have been paid off to turn a blind eye to the manufacture and sale of the banned item.
Setting up a commission to probe the death of the AIADMK supremo after 75 days in hospital was one of the conditions laid by O Panneerselvam to merge his faction with that of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.