Chennai: Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar today said she would continue her ‘legal battle’ against the government’s move to convert her aunt’s Poes Garden residence into memorial.
“It is a long process. I will continue my legal battle,” she told the media, after the Tamilnadu government declared the Veda Nilayam house as its property.
Tamilnadu government has deposited Rs 67.9 crore at a civil court as compensation to acquire the sprawling house at Poes Garden.
The State government along with the Income Tax department is now owner of Veda Nilayam. The I-T department will cease to be the joint owner after it gets its tax dues from the court.
The amount given by the government also includes compensation to Jayalalithaa’s legal heirs J Deepa and J Deepak.
The 22 July land acquisition award for the 24,322 sq ft bungalow was made public by the Chennai district administration, declaring that the property is free of all encumbrances and now vests with the government. Until now, Jayalalithaa and the I-T department were the executants of the property attached by the department over a case. The AIADMK government wanted to acquire the building for converting it into a memorial.
While Deepa and Deepak opposed the government’s move to take over their aunt’s bungalow, the I-T department said the pending wealth tax and income tax dues of 36.9 crore should be settled first.