Chennai: The Madras High Court has dismissed writ appeals filed by the Opposition AIADMK challenging the Single Judge order quashing the acquisition of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence ‘Veda NIlayam’ to convert it into a memorial.
A Division Bench comprising Justices Paresh Upadhyay and Sathi Kumar Sukumara Kurup dismissed the appeals filed by AIADMK leader and former Tamilnadu Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam against the 24 November, 2021 Single Judge order quashing the acquisition during the previous AIADMK regime.
The Bench said the appeals could not be allowed as the petitioner had not made a serious challenge to the single judge’s conclusion that the acquisition proceedings were marred with procedural irregularities.
The Judges also observed that there was absolutely no public purpose behind the State acquisition of a private property which was now owned by the nephew and niece of Ms Jayalalithaa, who were declared their legal heirs.
Recording the submissions of Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram that the present State government had decided to accept the single judge’s verdict and had handed over the keys of Veda Nilayam to the legal heirs, the Bench said the court could not now allow the appeals and force the government to proceed with the acquisition.
The Bench also agreed with the submissions of the senior counsel that there was absolutely no need for the court to interfere with the single judge’s verdict on any ground.
After the High Court quashed the acquisition, Ms Deepa and Mr Deepak filed a petition before the Chennai Collector seeking to handover the keys of Veda Nilayam. Subsequently the keys were handed over to them and they took possession of the premises.