Madras HC declares Jayalalithaa’s kin as legal heirs; dashes Tamil Nadu govt’s Poes Garden memorial plan – Times of India

CHENNAI: Dealing a body blow to Tamil Nadu government’s bid to take over former chief minister Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence, Madras high court has said only a part of the 10-ground property could be converted into a memorial if needed.
Declaring Jayalalithaa’s niece J Deepa and nephew J Deepak as class 2 legal heirs of all the assets of the departed leader, a division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice Abdul Quddhose suggested conversion of the house — Veda Nilayam — into the official residence of Tamil Nadu chief minister and to convert a portion of it as memorial if needed.

Jayalalithaa’s bungalow in Poes Garden, Chennai
In Tamil Nadu, chief minister do not have their official residence for more than five decades, and the incumbent chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is occupying a Greenways Road bungalow meant for ministers.
The bench passed the order on Wednesday, on the pleas moved by Deepa and Deepak seeking to permit them to administer their aunt’s properties in their capacity as class 2 legal heirs.
The court also dismissed another plea moved by an AIADMK cadre, K Pugalenthi, to appoint his as administrators of the properties of the late chief minister.
In August 2019, the bench, while reserving the orders, made an oral observation as to why not a portion of Jayalalithaa’s properties be allotted for the welfare of the public, as she kept saying she was made by people and she worked for people.
To this, Deepa and Deepak submitted that they had no objection in doing so, as the same was the wish of their aunt. “But as the only legal heirs of Jayalalithaa, we are entitled to all her properties. We have plans to establish a trust in her name and do charity to the people through it,” they added.
On May 22, the state government promulgated an ordinance to temporarily take possession Veda Nilayam. The ordinance was also meant to establish Puratchi Thalaivi Dr J Jayalalithaa Memorial Foundation for making long- term arrangements to convert Veda Nilayam into a memorial.
Chief minister is to be chairperson of the proposed foundation, while the deputy chief minister, minister for information and publicity, government officials would be members. Director of information and public relations is to be its member-secretary.