CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (HC) today set aside an order of the former state government to convert late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's residence, 'Veda Nilayam' in Chennai as a memorial in her memory. The HC has directed the state to hand over the property to her legal heirs J Deepa and J Deepak, Justice N Seshasayee in three weeks.

The former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government had decided to convert party supremo Jayalalithaa's residence property situated at the upscale Poes Garden locality in the Teynampet area of Chennai into a memorial and throw it open to the public to pay their respects, following which Deepa and Deepak had filed her plea in the HC.

Allowing the pleas moved by the two on their paternal aunt, HC Justice N Seshasayee said there was no need for another memorial for the late CM who was the supremo of AIADMK when there was one memorial for her at the Marina beach. Deepa's family resided in Veda Nilayam, Poes Garden together with J. Jayalalithaa till 1978.

In their plea, the two had said that they were emotionally and sentimentally attached to the Poes Garden residence of their aunt and had planned to use it for doing charity through a public trust in her name. 

They had also said that and had alleged that the state government had not given an opportunity to them to submit their objections against the acquisition of Veda Nilayam in total violation of the principles of natural justice as mandated by the Land Acquisition Act.

After the AIADMK government had taken the decision to convert Veda Nilayam into a memorial in 2017, the Poes Garden residents had raised objections to the proposal and to support their arguments they had cited Chennai’s crime, littering and parking problem at the social impact assessment convened by Chennai Collector.

They had said that the move would risk the safety of children and women, with people from across the state coming to the neighbourhood to visit the memorial and vendors setting up shops. 

On January 27, the judge passed an interim order restraining the state from throwing open the property to the public pending the final disposal of the case which was done today.