On 6 December, thousands of people gathered at the MGR Memorial in Marina beach to witness the final moments of Jayalalithaa’s funeral. But in the minds of the millions watching the event on TV, there was one question – who was the man standing with Sasikala while the last rites were being done?
That was Deepak Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa’s brother Jayakumar's son and one of Jayalalithaa’s few existing blood-relatives.
Deepak has stayed far away from the public glare all his life. He has never spoken out and many did not know who he was until after the funeral. He is also the brother of Deepa Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa’s niece who has been vocal against Sasikala, and claimed that she was not allowed to meet her aunt.