Chennai: The Madras High Court on Thursday expressed doubts over the mystery surrounding the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and asked the Centre and State governments to respond to the PIL filed on the issue.

Hearing a PIL filed by an AIADMK activist PL Joseph, the Madras High Court vacation judge made a serious personal observation giving voice to the plethora of doubts expressed over the death of Jayalalithaa, after it was being said that she would be discharged soon.

The judge observed that as per media reports, she was chairing meetings, signing papers and issuing orders. Then suddenly she was declared dead. As a common man too, the judge said, he was perturbed over the matter and posted the case for hearing to the regular bench when the court resumes after holidays.

Vijay Anand, petitioner Joseph’s lawyer, told media persons that they had sought an inquiry into the whole affair, since Jayalalithaa was admitted to the Apollo Hospital on September 22, as it was a matter of public interest and also because the State and Central governments were silent over the death and circumstances leading to it.

“Our prayer is against the Central government, asking it to constitute a committee of inquiry into the death of Jayalalithaa, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge,” said Vijay Anand. He also said that the judge also questioned on why no post mortem was carried out.

C Rajashekharan, High Court advocate, present during the hearing told media persons that the judge had expressed his personal observation and doubts over the issue and questioned the silence of the Centre and State on the issue.

He said that it would be improper to speculate on the subject when the High Court was seized of the matter and it would not be correct to prejudge the issue as to how the court would decide the matter.