Madras HC issues notice in claim over Jayalalithaa residence [Read petition]

The Madras High Court today issued notice in a petition staking a claim over the residence of J Jayalalithaa in Chennai. The matter came up for hearing today before Justice K Ravichandra Babu..J Deepa, niece of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, had filed a petition in the High Court to restrain the state from converting Jayalalithaa’s Veda Nilayam residence into a public memorial..In her petition, Deepa points out that Jayalalithaa had passed away intestate last December. As such, it has been contended that the petitioner and her brother, J Deepak are the rightful heirs to various properties belonging to Jayalalithaa in and around Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore etc, including the property at Poes Garden, where Veda Nilayam stands..She has averred that her family and Jayalalithaa lived as a joint family in Veda Nilayam until they moved to T Nagar for the sake of convenience and to pursue higher studies. She has reasserted that she and her brother hold rights to the said property as second class heirs..In this context, she has challenged the legality of the government’s plan to convert Veda Nilayam into a public memorial, as evinced in a press release dated August 18..“…the press release of the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu is without any basis and he has got no locus standi to issue press release in respect of private property, which lawfully belongs to me and my brother as per Hindu Succession Act 1956.”.In her petition, she has also mentioned that,.“Due to the undue pressure and love of the AIADMK cadres, I continued the legacy and the welfare activities left by my later paternal aunt J Jayalalitha..”.Deepa claims to be “shocked” by the press release and the subsequent measures taken to implement its intent. It has been submitted that following the press release, officials from the revenue and tourism departments had visited the premises, without issuing notice to the owners/lawful successors-in-interest. It has been contended that the same, as well as surveyance of the property by the tourism department is nothing but illegal..Aggrieved by this, a representation had also been made on August 22 to the government challenging the proposed conversion and requesting that the same be stopped, to no avail..Read petition below..Image taken from here..Click here to download the Bar & Bench Android App