Over 27 kg of gold ornaments, including a golden crown, and 1,116 kg of silver were some of the items belonging to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa that were handed over to Tamil Nadu government by a special court in Karnataka. The transfer occurred on Friday, a day after a Bengaluru court ordered the handover of the assets, which had previously been under the custody of Karnataka.
Karnataka authorities had possession of Jayalalithaa's assets
Karnataka authorities were in possession of an extensive collection of valuables, including 27 kg and 558 grams of gold jewellery, 1,116 kg of silver, and documents related to 1,526 acres of land. These assets had been stored securely in the Karnataka Vidhana Soudha treasury. The transfer was carried out in the presence of court and government officials.
The items were documented and photographed during the transfer process. Among the images, an opulent golden crown with intricate craftsmanship stands out, reflecting the grandeur associated with Jayalalithaa’s tenure. Additionally, a vast collection of jewellery was catalogued, with rows of ornate ornaments laid out for inventory. A sword with elaborate engravings also featured among the high-value objects, adding to the list of remarkable items recovered.
Jayalalithaa's niece claimed right over the confiscated property
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Jayalalithaa's niece, who is also her legal heir, seeking the return of the properties confiscated in a case against her. On January 29, a special CBI court ordered the transfer of all confiscated assets belonging to Jayalalithaa to the Tamil Nadu government.
The decision came after the Karnataka High Court on January 13 dismissed a plea by Jayalalithaa’s niece and nephew, J Deepa and J Deepak, who staked claim to the properties as her legal heirs.
Jayalalithaa was convicted in the DA case, where she was found guilty of amassing wealth beyond her known sources of income. The top court upheld the confiscation of her properties despite abating proceedings against her following her demise in 2016. Her heirs argued that since the case against Jayalalithaa was abated, her assets should not be confiscated.
(With PTI inputs)