Madras HC declares Jayalalithaa's niece and nephew as her legal heirs to property

The judgement came days after Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit issued an ordinance to take possession of 'Veda Nilayam', which was the residence of Jayalalithaa, and set up a foundation under present CM E Palaniswamy to convert the house into a memorial.

Pronouncing the verdict, the court has asked the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its decision to convert late Jayalalithaa's Chennai residence into a memorial.

A division bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose has also suggested 'Veda Nilayam', which is located in Poes Garden, can be converted into the official residence of the CM while one portion of the property can be converted into a memorial.

The court has cleared that late Jayalalithaa's niece and nephew- Deepa and Deepak- are entitled to administer any estate held individually by the former CM or in the names of firms or companies and the credits of the Tamilian politician.

Deepa and Deepak shall in their own discretion allot of few properties and create a registered trust to do social service within eight weeks since the receipt of the order copy.

Jayalalithaa, an actress-turned politician, remained the CM of the southern state for six terms.

The politician who used to lead Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK passed away in 2016.