State issued notice over converting Jaya’s house into memorial

A division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice Anita Sumanth before whom the plea moved by social activist Traffic K R Ramaswamy seeking to stall the acquisition, ordered notice returnable in two weeks.

The plea had contended that the Government should not be allowed to build a memorial for Jayalalithaa as she was declared a convict in the Disproportionate Assets case by the Supreme Court.

Based on this, he wanted the court to offer a direction restraining the government from acquiring Jayalalithaa’s residence and converting it into a memorial using public funds.

Following the announcement by the Government on August 17, 2017 that Veda Nilayam would be converted into a memorial and thereafter the government’s move to survey the property and complete the acquisition under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, Ramaswamy had prompted to move the plea.

It may be noted that Jayalalithaa’s niece J Deepa and nephew J Deepak had also moved a plea challenging the government’s move in acquiring their aunt’s Poes Garden residence stating that they are the legal heirs to the property and that the Government cannot unilaterally convert a private home into a State property.

However, the plea was disposed of on October 23, 2017 with a direction to the State to take a decision on her representation within four months.