In a significant ruling, the Karnataka High Court has upheld the confiscation of assets belonging to the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, dismissing an appeal by her legal heirs, J Deepak and J Deepa, on Monday. The heirs had sought the release of her assets, which were seized in a 2004 case concerning disproportionate assets.
The late Chief Minister was convicted in 2014 by a special court for accumulating wealth beyond her declared sources of income during her term from 1991 to 1996. Following her conviction, her assets were confiscated by the authorities. Although Jayalalithaa was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in 2015, the then Congress-led government in Karnataka escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. The apex court, while absolving her due to her passing in 2016, upheld the conviction of her close aide, V K Sasikala, along with Sasikala’s relatives V N Sudhakaran and Elavarasi in 2017, maintaining the order to confiscate Jayalalithaa’s assets.
In 2020, the Madras High Court recognized Deepak and Deepa as the legal heirs of Jayalalithaa. They filed an appeal arguing that since legal proceedings against Jayalalithaa were terminated upon her death, she should not be posthumously considered a convict, and her properties should be returned to them. However, Justice V Srishananda upheld the original trial court’s order from July 12, 2023, affirming that the confiscation stands as previously ruled by the Supreme Court.
During the proceedings, the court highlighted the lack of detailed evidence to determine which assets were acquired legally before the alleged period of corruption. It emphasized that any claims concerning such assets must be substantiated with credible evidence and should be presented before the trial court.
