Veda Nilayam: Division bench to hear Deepa’s plea today

After a single judge refused to hear to the plea moved by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa challenging the acquisition of Veda Nilayam by the State government to convert it into a memorial, the Madras High Court Chief Justice has handed over the case to a division bench led by Justice Vineet Kothari, which is set to hear the plea on Wednesday.

The case was transferred following a referral from Justice N Anand Venkatesh to the Chief Justice to post the matter before an appropriate division bench.

Deepa had contended that the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, does not empower the State to acquire a private land to convert it into a memorial. She also claimed that the acquisition of Veda Nilayam would hamper the inquiry by the Justice Arumugasamy Commission into the death of her aunt.

However, Justice Anand Venkatesh said he had already ruled against the argument that establishing a memorial does not fall under the Land Acquisition Act while dismissing a plea moved the residents of Poes Garden against the acquisition.

A similar plea moved by Deepa’s brother Deepak is before a division bench led by Justice N Kirubakaran.