More than two months after the Edappadi Palaniswami-government announced that it would turn late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s Veda Nilayam residence into a public memorial, the Madras High Court has asked the state to consider the plea of the former leader’s niece Deepa Jayakumar.
On Monday, the High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider Deepa’s plea claiming her right over the erstwhile CM’s properties including her Poes Garden residence.
In its reply, the state government assured the HC that a proper decision will be taken over the matter and her blood relatives will be consulted in the decision-making process. Following this, the HC disposed of the case.
Earlier in October, Deepa Jayakumar had approached the Madras High Court, opposing the decision by the Edappadi Palaniswami government to turn Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence— Veda Nilayam - into a public memorial.
She claimed that she and her brother Deepak are the rightful owners of Veda Nilayam and other properties owned by J Jayalalithaa in her writ petition.
She referred to a press release issued by the Chief Minister of TN Edappadi Palaniswami on August 18 which said Veda Nilayam would be converted to a memorial.
“I respectfully submit that I am filing the writ petition aggrieved by the press release issued by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu dated 18.08.2017 stating the property belonging to my paternal aunt J. Jayalalithaa more specifically ‘Veda Nilayam’ bearing door no.81 Poes Garden, Teynampet, Chennai-600086 will be converted into, J.Jayalalithaa Memorial”, her writ petition read.
In her petition, she explained how her father Jayakumar passed away much earlier than Jayalalithaa and left her and Deepak as second class legal heirs to succeed to her entire list of properties, which also includes Veda Nilayam.