Jayalalithaa Properties
With the sudden demise of AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa, uncertainty prevailed as there is no clarity on what happens to assets she has left behind. Any settlement would depend on whether she had left behind a will or not. In AIADMK, none including some of the lawyers who had handled Jayalalithaa’s legal affairs, is aware of the existence of one.
Though for the present her close accompany Sasikala Natarajan is in the possession of her palace like residence `Veda Nilayam’, any future legal battles may leads her to risks. Irrespect of an will, prolonged legal disputes are bound to come with counter claims between Sasikala clan on one side and Deepa Jayakumar and Dipak, children of Jayalalithaa’s late brother Jayakumar, other side.
According to the affidavit submitted by Jayalalithaa in her nomination paper for the 2016 assembly election from RK Nagar constituency in Chennai, the former chief minister has property worth Rs 118.58 crore. This includes the imposing Veda Nilayam, built in an area of 24,000 sq ft in the posh Poes Garden locality, 14.5 acres of farm land near Hyderabad, 3.43 acres of land in Kancheepuram and the Kodanadu Retreat in Western Ghats which is said to be of 800 acres.
Meanwhile, the fate of valuable gold ornaments related to her, now deposited at Karnataka treasury also leads to uncertainty. When the Income Tax officials conducted raids in her residence, they seized valuable ornaments and articles, which were kept with Karnataka treasury. They include 28 kgs gold, 800 kgs silver, 10,000 sarees, 91 watches, 44 air conditioners, 750 pair chappals. All of them valued over Rs 6 crore.
Till the case is disposed from Supreme Court, these all these will remain with Karnataka treasury only. Even later, unless valid ownership is established, probably with a court order, it would be most difficult for any own to get them.
The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) has suggested to convert “Vedha Nilayam”, the residence of late Jayalalithaa at Poes Garden in Chennai into a memorial for her after the state government acquiring it. TNCC president S Thirunavukkarasu said the public should also be allowed to see the materials used by Jayalalithaa.
