Handover process of Jayalalithaa’s seized valuables to TN govt begins
Bengaluru: A Special Court in Bengaluru has started the process of handing over the seized property of jewellery and other valuables belonging to late former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, an official said on Friday.
The property documents, 11,344 silk sarees, 468 gold and diamond ornaments and other jewellery weighing 7,040 grams, 750 pairs of sandals, watches and other valuables are being handed over to the Tamil Nadu government.
The list also includes 250 shawls, 12 refrigerators, 10 television sets, 8 VCRs, one video camera, 4 CD players, 2 audio decks, 24 tape recorders, 1,040 video cassettes, five iron lockers.
These items were seized by authorities in connection with the disproportionate assets case.
A team of officers accompanied by police officers from Tamil Nadu has arrived in Bengaluru to complete the handing over process and take over the property.
All articles will be handed over to the Tamil Nadu government.
The special court had fixed the date for handing over jewellery and other valuables belonging to Jayalalithaa on February 14, 2024. The court had also directed the Tamil Nadu government to depute officers to take possession of the seized articles.
However, Jayalithaa’s niece and nephew, J. Deepa and J. Deepak, claiming ownership of the seized articles, had filed an appeal before the Karnataka High Court. The single bench of the High Court had stayed the order of the lower court in this regard and later quashed the petition.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday also dismissed the plea by Deepa and Deepak seeking a return of properties confiscated in a case against her and stated that abatement of proceedings did not mean she was acquitted of the crime. The bench headed by Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order.
Sources stated that the team from Tamil Nadu will complete the handing over process and take them to Tamil Nadu either by Friday (Feb 14) or by Saturday (Feb 15).
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids against Jayalalithaa in 1996, and a charge sheet was submitted in 1997. Jayalalithaa passed away in 2016.
The court had previously ruled that Jayalalithaa’s family is not entitled to the properties confiscated by the state.
On September 27, 2014, the Special Court in Bengaluru sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years of imprisonment, imposing a fine of Rs 100 crore.
RTI activist T. Narasimha Murthy filed a plea seeking compensation for the amount spent by the Karnataka government in this case through the auction of seized items.
The court rejected the auction and directed the transfer of seized items to the government of Tamil Nadu.