Veda Nilayam: HC seeks State reply on Deepak petition

The first bench comprising Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy ordered notice despite Advocate General Vijay Narayan informing the bench that a bill to acquire immovable properties of the former CM is set to be placed in the Assembly on Wednesday. The bench, while ordering notice to the State, also observed that if the petition becomes infructuous it is for the petitioner to file a fresh plea.

Deepak, in his plea, had submitted that Veda Nilayam was purchased by his grandmother and subsequently bequeathed to Jayalalithaa. Also, claiming that many family events were held in that house and that his aunt had never expressed a desire to convert her house into a memorial, he contended that the State government has taken steps to convert that property into a memorial and the objections made by himself and his sister have not been accounted for.

Based on this, he sought the court to quash the notices issued by the State government to take over the property and provide a fresh opportunity to him and his sister J Deepa to record their objections to the acquisition process initiated since they were declared Jaya’s legal heirs on May 27, 2020.