Court dismisses appeal preferred by AIADMK for State acquisition of Veda Nilayam

A Division Bench of the Madras High Court held that that there was absolutely no public purpose behind the acquisition of the private property

A Division Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed writ appeals by the AIADMK and former Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam, relating to former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s Veda Nilayam bungalow. The appellants had challenged a single judge’s November 24 order, quashing proceedings initiated by the State government, during the AIADMK regime, to acquire Veda Nilayam and convert it into a memorial.

The Bench of Justices Paresh Upadhyay and Sathi Kumar Sukumara Kurup said the appellants had not made a serious challenge to the single judge’s conclusion that the acquisition proceedings were marred with procedural irregularities and therefore the appeals could not be allowed. The Bench also held that there was absolutely no public purpose behind the State acquisition of a private property which was now owned by the nephew and niece of Jayalalithaa.