High Court orders AG to check whether Jayalalithaa's house figured in disproportionate assets case

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu Advocate General to verify whether the Poes Garden residence of late J Jayalalithaa was mentioned in the disproportionate assets case against her.

The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar gave the direction to Advocate General Vijay Narayan during the hearing of a PIL which opposed the state government's proposal to convert the residence into a memorial.

Asking the AG to inform the court about the factual position, it adjourned the hearing to September 8.

Petitioner Thangavelu of Tiruchirapalli has contended that since Jayalalithaa was found guilty and convicted in the disproportionate assets case, converting her residence into a memorial will set a bad precedent.

He has also prayed for a stay against any move consequent to the recent announcement by Chief Minister K Palaniswami that the residence of Jayalalithaa would be made a public memorial.

Jayalalithaa was convicted in 2014 in the disproportionate assets case by a special court in Bengaluru, along with her aide V K Sasikala and two others and sentenced to four years of simple imprisonment.

However, following an appeal, the Karnataka High Court had acquitted her.

When the matter came before the Supreme Court in February this year, the proceedings against Jayalalithaa were abated due to her death in December last year while the co-accused were convicted.