Landmark Verdict: Tamil Nadu Government Gains Control Over Jayalalithaa's Contested Assets

A special CBI court ordered the transfer of J Jayalalithaa's seized assets to the Tamil Nadu government, following the Karnataka High Court's dismissal of claims by her heirs. Jayalalithaa was convicted in a disproportionate assets case, and the Supreme Court upheld the confiscation despite her passing. The case nears closure.

In a decisive legal development, a special CBI court on Wednesday instructed that all seized assets belonging to former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa be handed over to the Tamil Nadu government. This follows the Karnataka High Court's earlier rejection of an appeal by Jayalalithaa's relatives staking a claim to her properties.

Jayalalithaa's assets were seized following her conviction in a disproportionate assets case where she was accused of acquiring wealth beyond her known sources of income. Despite the case against her being abated posthumously, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to confiscate her properties.

The High Court maintained that the conviction of others involved in the case justified the confiscation. The assets significantly boost Tamil Nadu's coffers, with properties like Veda Nilayam and other valuables now under government control. The court permits claims on assets bought prior to the check period.

(With inputs from agencies.)