Jayalalithaa’s jewellery will be handed over to Tamil Nadu govt in March

Also Read: Tamil Nadu repeals Act to convert Jayalalithaa’s residence into a memorial

Earlier hearing

Judge HA Mohan, presiding over the XXXII Additional City Civil & Sessions Court, last month directed the transfer of valuables seized from Jayalalithaa to the Tamil Nadu government.

The TN Government will then take necessary action on the disposal of these gold and diamond jewellery, it said.

The trial was held in Karnataka on the direction of the Supreme Court and therefore all material evidence is in the Karnataka treasury now under the custody of the court.

The court had earlier held that the kin of Jayalalithaa were not entitled to the properties which are confiscated by the State. The Special CBI Court had thus rejected the petition filed by J Deepa and J Deepak, the niece and nephew of Jayalalithaa, respectively.

Ordering the transfer of the jewels to the Tamil Nadu Government, the Special Court judge had said, “Instead of auctioning the jewels, it is better to transfer the same to Tamil Nadu by handing over the same through the Department of Home, State of Tamil Nadu.”

Also Read: Karnataka court orders transfer of Jayalalithaa’s jewellery to TN

Direction to TN govt

The court had then issued the direction that the Tamil Nadu Home Department authorises “competent persons preferably in the rank of Secretary along with police to come and collect the jewels.”

In the same order, the Special Court had ordered the payment of ₹5 crore to Karnataka for the expenses of the trial conducted in the State. The payment will be made from a fixed deposit in an account related to Jayalalithaa in the State Bank of India branch in Chennai.

The disproportionate assets trial against Jayalalithaa, her former close aide V Sasikala, VN Sudhakaran, who is the disowned foster son of Jayalalithaa, and Sasikala’s sister-in-law J Ilavarasi was conducted by the special court in Bengaluru, which convicted them nearly ten years ago.

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