DA case: Spl court sets dates for handover of Jayalalithaa's seized jewelry

Bengaluru, Feb 19: A Special Court in Karnataka Special Court on Monday has set the dates for the handover of gold, diamond, silver and ruby jewelry, and other valuables worth crores of rupees -- belonging to late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa -- to the Tamil Nadu government, an official said.

These items were seized by authorities in connection with the disproportionate assets case.

Judge H.A. Mohan, presiding over the court, has scheduled March 6 and March 7 to complete the process of the hand-over of jewelry.

Two officials from the Tamil Nadu government have been assigned to receive the jewels, and the authorities have been instructed to bring five trunks for this purpose.

The Tamil Nadu government has submitted to the court that the Secretary of the Home Department and the Inspector General of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) will be present during the handover procedure.

Additionally, a videographer and photographer will also be present, and security will be provided at the City Civil Court on both days.

It has been brought to the court's attention that the Tamil Nadu government still owes a fee of Rs 5 crore for the expenses incurred in conducting the disproportionate assets case.

The trial was conducted in Karnataka as per the Supreme Court's directive.

Currently, all relevant evidence is held in the Karnataka treasury under the court's custody.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids against Jayalalithaa in 1996, and a charge sheet was submitted in 1997. Jayalalithaa passed away in 2016.

The court had previously ruled that Jayalalithaa's family is not entitled to the properties confiscated by the state.

The decision came in response to a petition filed by J. Deepa and J. Deepak, the niece and nephew of Jayalalithaa, respectively, who summoned the Tamil Nadu government in this regard.

On September 27, 2014, the Special Court in Bengaluru sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years of imprisonment, imposing a fine of Rs 100 crore.

RTI activist T. Narasimha Murthy filed a plea seeking compensation for the amount spent by the Karnataka government in this case through the auction of seized items.

The court rejected the auction and directed the transfer of seized items to the government of Tamil Nadu.