VELLORE/CHENNAI: A day before VK Sasikala, onetime confidante of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, is scheduled to arrive in Chennai from Bengaluru, the Chennai Collectorate on Sunday attached properties worth crores of her relatives and coconvicts in an assets case, VN Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi. This was in compliance with a 2017 Supreme Court order, the Tamil Nadu government said. Besides Sasikala, Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi were sentenced to four-year imprisonment in 2017.
While Sasikala was released on January 27, the other two are likely to complete their sentences soon. The properties confiscated are undivided share in land and “additional buildings” on upscale Wallace Garden Street and a ground-plus-one house on the posh TTK Road. These are owned by Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi, partners of Lex Property Development Private Limited.
According to a press statement, 2,324 sq feet land of Lex Property Development at Wallace Garden in Thousand lights has been attached. The extent of the office land is six grounds, of which four land parcels, each 581 sq feet and totaling 2,324 sq feet that have been registered under the name of Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi and buildings constructed on these lands, owned by them, have been attached.
The Collectorate also attached the residential property at Sreeram Nagar on TTK Road, registered in the name of Lex Property Development. The house is on two grounds and its built-up area on the ground and first floor each is 2,150 sq feet. “The properties were confiscated as per a Supreme Court judgment passed on February 14, 2017. The titles of the properties are transferred to the State government. Revenue earned from the properties also belongs to the government now,” the Collector said.
All eyes on Vellore for tomorrow too
Vellore district resembles a fortress with back-to-back high-profile events. While Sasikala’s return journey from Bengaluru to Chennai will be via the district on Monday, the Chief Minister’s election campaign is scheduled for the next day. As many as 1,200 police personnel will be deployed - 1,000 for the Chief Minister and 200 for Sasikala - police said.
Minister KC Veeramani on Sunday inspected Anna Salai, one of the locations where Palaniswami will hold his rally in Vellore, on Tuesday. The security will be tight in view of receptions en route Sasikala’s journey. She is likely to pass through five districts en-route to Chennai.
The AIADMK had alleged that Sasikala and her nephew, TTV Dinakaan, were hatching a conspiracy to disrupt law and order in the State. They even lodged a complaint with the Director-General of Police, JK Tripathy, in Chennai. Law Minister CVe Shanmugam had said, “They are planning to disrupt peace and tranquility by creating huge riots. AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran had said in a statement that the police have permitted events to welcome Sasikala at several places on the way.
1,200 cops in Vellore
As many as 1,200 police personnel will be deployed in Vellore district — 1,000 for the CM’s election campaign on Tuesday, and 200 for Sasikala’s return on Monday — police sources said. Security will be tight in view of receptions en route Sasikala’s journey.