HC seeks info on tax dues related to Jaya' s home

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The Madras High Court Thursday directed the I-T department to apprise it of tax dues and status of recovery, if any, relating to the home of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

A division bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and Anita Sumanth gave the direction on a PIL by social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy, challenging the announcement made by Chief Minister K Palaniswami to convert the residence-- 'Veda Nilayam'-- into a memorial.

The court also directed the authorities concerned including the Corporation of Chennai to file an affidavit on the nature of the properties so far declared as memorials for political leaders.

It ordered the state government to furnish details regarding the Act, which governs legal provisions relating to declaration of any property whether private or government as a memorial of political leaders.

The bench then posted the matter for further hearing to January 24.

The petitioner contended that the state government should not be allowed to build a memorial for Jayalalithaa, who he alleged was declared a convict in the disproportionate assets case by the Supreme Court.

On August 17, 2017, Palaniswami had announced his government's decision to convert the former chief minister's residence into a memorial.

The petitioner moved the court after the government initiated the survey of the property situated in the posh Poes Garden locality here.

The Income Tax department had carried out searches at Veda Nilayam in connection with the Gutkha scam in 2017.