Was it Jayalalithaa's thumb impression? Activist seeks probe

Traffic Ramaswamy seeks probe on Jayalalithaa's thumb impression by fingerprint experts.

Chennai, Nov 12: It seems Chennai-based social activist Traffic Ramaswamy is adamant to prove that thumb impression of Jayalalithaa on nomination papers of AIADMK candidates for the November 19 bypolls is "unverified and illegal".

After the Madras High Court dismissed a PIL filed earlier by Ramaswamy, challenging affixing of thumb impression of the ailing chief minister on nomination papers of AIADMK candidates, the social activist wants a probe into the matter by fingerprint experts.

Now, Ramaswamy has filed a petition in the chief judicial magistrate court at Egmore, Chennai, seeking a probe by the fingerprint division of state crime record bureau to verify the authenticity of Amma's thumb impression on nomination papers.

Ramaswamy alleged that Apollo Hospitals chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy, Dr Abraham of Apollo Hospitals, professor of minimal surgery at the Government Hospital in Chennai Dr Balaji, chief election commissioner Dr Nazim Zaidi and chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni "had conspired and colluded to enable the unverified fingerprints, supposedly of the chief minister to be implanted on the attestation papers under suspicious circumstances and falsely attested the same..."

The court will hear the petition on Monday (November 14).

Reports say Amma has an inflamed right hand as she had undergone tracheostomy and thus had to affix her left thumb impression in the poll documents.

AIADMK candidates in Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thirupparankundram assembly segments had filed Forms A and B, featuring the left thumb impression of AIADMK supremo, instead of her signature.

All three constituencies go to the polls on November 19.

The AIADMK had taken permission from the Election Commission to allow Jayalalithaa to put her thumb impression in view of her health and the poll body had given its nod.

The AIADMK supremo is undergoing treatment in Apollo Hospitals, Chennai since September 22.

OneIndia News