Who is heir to J Jayalalithaa’s estate?

Even as the crowds storming MGR Memorial is yet to dip and the state is still in mourning, speculation is rife on what would be the fate of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s movable and immovable assets worth crores of rupees, particularly her Poes Garden residence. As per the nomination papers filed by Jayalalithaa for the May 2016 Assembly election, the AIADMK supremo had assets worth Rs 117.13 crore which include her Poes Garden residence valued at Rs. 43.09 crore and gold and silver worth over Rs 40 crore. 

While there has been no official word out as yet on whether there is a will document that Jayalalithaa could have bequeathed in the safe custody of a trusted aide, legal experts point out that even if a will does surfaces posthumously, it could be a long-drawn battle for anyone to inherit the wealth, even if the will declares him or her as the legal heir, unless it is according to the laws of inheritance. 

“The laws are clear on this issue,” says advocate Nalinishree. “When a spinster dies, her property is inherited by her brothers or sisters and in their absence by their offspring. In this case, Jaya’s niece and nephew would be the legal heirs according to Section 15 of the Hindu Succession Act of 1956,” she says. 

However, it is common knowledge that the former CM had never been close to her family and had kept them away from her close circles for long. For several decades, Jayalalithaa’s trusted friend Sasikala and her kin have been living in her Poes Garden home and continue to do so. As Sasikala seems to be the most likely inheritor of Jaya’s political legacy, she (or anyone close to her) is widely believed to be the inheritor of her material wealth. 

“But it is not going to be easy for anyone but close family members to stake a claim for the property,” says senior advocate Venkatraman who has been the complainant in the disproportionate wealth against Jayalalithaa. “Even in the presence of a will, the authenticity of it can be questioned or disputed. During such period, all the properties belonging to the late CM have to be locked and nobody should be allowed to enter the premises,” he adds. 

Even in this case, Jaya’s fate is likely to closely follow that of her mentor and AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran. Despite the presence of a will, the ownership of MGR’s residence near Porur popularly known as the Ramavaram Gardens led to a squabble among his family members which even resulted in a murder. 

A section of Jayalalithaa’s supporters have already put forth the demand for converting the late CM’s residence as a Memorial and a petition has also been moved through Change. org. However, the fate of the sprawling Veda Nilayam (36, Poes Garden, Chennai – 600 086), which had been the one of the power centres of the state for the past three decades, remains to be seen.