Bengaluru court to transfer Jayalalithaa’s confiscated assets to Tamil Nadu government on Feb 14-15: Report

The decision comes after a prolonged legal dispute over ownership of the assets.

A special court in Bengaluru has ordered the transfer of valuables confiscated from former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case to the Tamil Nadu government. The handover is scheduled for February 14 and 15.

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister (late) J Jayalalithaa. (File Photo)

According to The Hindu report, Judge HA Mohan of the Special Court for CBI and Enforcement Directorate cases has directed Tamil Nadu government officials to be present in court on these dates to take custody of the items.

The decision comes after a prolonged legal dispute over ownership of the assets, which were seized during the investigation into the case.

The confiscated assets have been at the center of a legal dispute for several years. In July 2023, the special court dismissed claims made by Jayalalithaa’s niece and nephew, J Deepa and J Deepak, who sought ownership of the valuables as her legal heirs.

The court ruled that the assets, seized as part of the corruption case, rightfully belonged to the Tamil Nadu government, the report added.

Following this ruling, the court initially set March 2024 as the date for transferring the assets. However, Deepa and Deepak challenged the order in the Karnataka High Court, leading to a temporary stay on the handover process.

On January 13, 2025, the Karnataka High Court dismissed their petitions, upholding the special court’s decision, the report further added. The court ruled that the confiscated valuables, which were part of the case in which Jayalalithaa was convicted posthumously, should be handed over to the Tamil Nadu government. With this ruling, all legal obstacles to the transfer have been removed.

Background of the case

The disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa and her close aide VK Sasikala dates back to the 1990s. The investigation revealed assets far exceeding their known sources of income, leading to legal proceedings that lasted over two decades. In 2017, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction of Sasikala and others, while Jayalalithaa was deemed guilty posthumously.