CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court has directed the government advocate to let it know the State government’s stance on the plea from Deepa, niece of former Chief Minister the late J Jayalalithaa to stay all further proceedings to acquire the latter’s Poes Garden residence to convert it into a memorial.
The bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddose issued the directive on Monday while passing interim orders on the appeal from K Pugazhendi, South Chennai district deputy secretary of the Jayalalithaa Peravai, who sought to appoint an administrator for Jayalalithaa’s properties worth about Rs 913 crore.
When the matter came up for hearing, Deepa’s counsel assured the judges that he would submit the list of Jayalalithaa’s assets to the counsel for the Income Tax department, who also agreed to submit details on the market value of the properties. The bench directed the government advocate to get instructions from the government in this regard. The counsel for the Directorate of Enforcement filed a report saying that no proceedings were initiated against Jayalalithaa to attach her properties.
Originally, Pugazhendhi and P Janakiraman of Nesapakkam had filed writ pleas to appoint them as administrators to manage Jayalalithaa’s properties. Justice CV Karthikeyan had dismissed the petitions. Hence, the present appeal.