After the news broke how Tamil Nadu government discreetly communicated with collectors of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvannamalai, Thirvarur, Tuticorin and Tihiruvallur to mark the properties, which were annexed under the disproportionate assets case, the most pertinent question still remians as to whom does the Poes Garden and other properties not attached to the DA case go to?
VK Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi were convicted in the DA case while as late J Jayalalitha was acquitted after her death.
As of April 2016, Jayalalitha owned a residence in Poes Garden valued at Rs 72. 1 crore, and other commercial properties valued upto Rs 23.2 crore. She had agricultural land in Hyderabad worth Rs 14.4 crore and in Cheyyur worth Rs 34 lakh.
As for her investments, Jayalalitha claimed to have invested Rs 21.5 crore in Shree Jaya Publications, Rs 40.4 lakh in Royal Valley Floritech Exports, Rs 2.2 crore in Green T Estate, and surprisingly Rs 3.13 crore in Kodanadu estate.
Jayalalitha in April 2016 had Rs 10.63 crore as deposits in various banks and 21.2 kg of gold (seized after DA case) valued at Rs 38.49 crore and 1250 kg of silver valued at Rs 3.12 crore
CLAIMS OVER PROPERTY
Five months after Jayalalitha’s death, it was Deepak Madhahvan, who stirred up the confusion over his aunt’s properties, claiming that he had the will and as per the document he becomes the owner of the property. In fact, Deepak does possess a copy of a will which enlists Jayalalitha’s properties.
But when inquried with his sister Deepa Madhavan about her brother’s claim, she felt a bit awkward to speak on family matters in the beginning but reluctantly agreed to the point that there is an ancestral will and that her house at T Nagar and her aunt’s residence at Poes Garden are all ancestral properties which means, she has equal claim over it just like her brother. In fact, she even called the current occupants of Poes Garden as trespassers.
“The people there should have walked out the day Jayalalithaa passed away and should have handed it over to the rightful owners. Instead they are illegally staying there claiming the properties and the party. This is not fair and not right in any manner,” she exclaimed.
PROPERTIES NOT ANCESTRAL
But to the contrary of her nephew and niece’s claim, Jayalaltiha had made it very clear that the Poes Garden residence and none of her other properties were ancestral in any nature. On her 2016 affidavit submitted during the RK Nagar elections, she had made it clear that her Poes Garden residence was not an inherited property.
“Legally Jayalalitha died as a Hindu and as per the Hindu Successions Act, the properties must go to her husband or her children which in this case is not possible. So the third tier goes to her parents who are also not alive,” explained Laxmi Narayanan, a leading advocate.
The interesting factor in this case is that though Jayalalitha is not alive to claim the ownership, people still reside in her properties and are reaping the benefits. However, the instigation by OPS after he turned a rebel to make Poes Garden as a memorial is also still pending.
