TN govt to dispose of Deepa's plea on Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence in 4 weeks

The Tamil Nadu government today agreed to “consider and dispose of” within four weeks a representation made by Jayalalithaa’s niece J. Deepa against the decision to convert the former chief minister’s Poes Garden residence here into a memorial.

Advocate-General Vijay Narayan made a submission to this effect before Justice K Ravichandrabaabu, when Deepa’s petition came up for hearing.

Recording the submission made by the AG, the judge directed the government to take a decision on the representation within four weeks.

The court had earlier sought the government’s response to Deepa’s plea.

Deepa submitted that her paternal grandmother Vedavalli alias Sandhya had purchased several properties in and around Chennai. She died in 1971, leaving behind her son Jayakumar and daughter Jayalalithaa as successors, she said.

Deepa claimed that her father got married after her grandmother’s death and lived in a joint family with his wife, children as well as his sister (Jayalalithaa) in the same house for a long time.

Later, for the sake of convenience, the family had to move to the present residence at T Nagar here, she said.

Deepa further submitted that Jayalalithaa died last year on December 5 leaving behind her (Deepa) and her brother as second class legal heirs to succeed her entire estate, that also includes the Poes Garden residence of the former chief minister.

Deepa said she was shocked by the government’s decision to convert her aunt’s Poes Garden residence into a memorial.

Palaniswami had on August 17 announced his government would convert Jayalalithaa’s ‘Veda Nilayam’ residence into a memorial.

“The press release of the chief minister is without any basis and he (K Palaniswami) has got no locus standi to issue it with respect to a private property which lawfully belongs to me and my brother,” she said.

The petitioner alleged that officials of the revenue and tourism departments are surveying the property in a haste “which is nothing but illegal”.