27 kg gold, 1,116 kg silver: Tamil Nadu government takes possession of Jayalalithaa’s seized assets

NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government has officially taken possession of assets seized from late chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the long-running disproportionate assets case. These included 27 kg and 558 grams of gold jewellery, 1,116 kg of silver, and documents related to 1,526 acres of land, previously stored in the Karnataka Vidhana Soudha treasury. The transfer took place on Friday, following a Bengaluru court’s order for Karnataka to hand over the valuables.
The process was overseen by court and government officials, who documented and photographed the items, revealing an opulent golden crown, an extensive jewellery collection, and a sword with intricate engravings. Petitioner Narasimha Murthy told PTI that only jewellery and documents were handed over, while 27 other items remained with Jayalalithaa's secretary since 1996.
On Friday, the Supreme Court rejected a plea by Jayalalithaa’s legal heir seeking the return of the confiscated assets. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma ruled that while the proceedings were abated after her death, it did not mean she was acquitted. The 2017 judgment in State of Karnataka v. J Jayalalithaa confirmed that the high court’s decision acquitting her had not attained finality.
A special CBI court had earlier ordered the transfer of all confiscated assets to the Tamil Nadu government. The Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea by Jayalalithaa’s niece and nephew, J Deepa and J Deepak, who claimed the properties as her legal heirs. The court upheld the confiscation, stating the conviction of her co-accused remained valid.
The seized properties include Veda Nilayam, her Chennai residence, land parcels, estates, bank deposits, and valuables amassed between July 1991 and April 1996.