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Engraved gold sword, gold crown: Tamil Nadu takes over Jayalalithaa's seized assets
The transfer took place on Friday, with the assets previously held by Karnataka, including 27 kg and 558 grams of gold jewellery, 1,116 kg of silver.
The Tamil Nadu government has taken control of the seized assets of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa after a Bengaluru court ordered their transfer from Karnataka.
The transfer took place on Friday, with the assets previously held by Karnataka, including 27 kg and 558 grams of gold jewellery, 1,116 kg of silver, and legal documents for 1,526 acres of land. These valuables had been kept in the Karnataka Vidhana Soudha treasury.
Court and government officials oversaw the transfer, ensuring compliance with legal procedures. The seized items were carefully recorded and photographed, providing a rare insight into the wealth amassed by the late leader.
The images include a lavish golden crown with intricate detailing, symbolising the grandeur linked to Jayalalithaa’s leadership. Alongside, an extensive collection of jewellery was documented, with rows of elaborate ornaments arranged for inventory.
A finely engraved sword was also among the valuable items, adding to the list of noteworthy possessions recovered.
“Only two things -- jewellery and documents -- have been handed over to the Tamil Nadu government and remaining 27 articles were in the custody of Jayalalithaa's secretary Bhaskarana since 1996,” PTI quoted petitioner Narasimha Murthy as saying.
The disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa, which spanned nearly 18 years, was moved from Chennai to Bengaluru. In 2014, a special court in Bengaluru convicted Jayalalithaa and three others, her close aide VK Sasikala and Sasikala’s relatives, VN Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi.
The Karnataka High Court acquitted them in 2015, but the Supreme Court overturned this ruling in 2017.
On January 29, a special CBI court directed the transfer of all confiscated assets belonging to Jayalalithaa to the Tamil Nadu government.
On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition by her niece and nephew, J Deepa and J Deepak, who had claimed ownership of the assets.
The court clarified that the case’s closure after Jayalalithaa’s death did not equate to her acquittal.
On December 5, 2016, Jayalalithaa, the longest-serving general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, passed away in Chennai due to cardiac arrest at the age of 68.
