Tamil Nadu govt gets go-ahead for Jayalalithaa memorial; Madras HC went by SC judgment that abated criminal charges against her

Referring to petitioner ML Ravi’s claim that Jayalalithaa was convicted in a disproportionate assets case, the Madras High Court submitted that the Supreme Court in its 2017 judgement had abated charges against her in view of her passing.

The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking to restrain the Tamil Nadu government from constructing a memorial for late chief minister J Jayalalithaa at Marina Beach in Chennai.

Referring to petitioner ML Ravi’s claim that Jayalalithaa was convicted in a disproportionate assets case , a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam submitted that the Supreme Court, in its 14 February, 2017, judgement, had abated the charges against her in view of her passing, DT Next reported.

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had opposed the plea, citing the same reason, adding that it could not be construed as conviction, The Times of India reported. The state government had also said that constructing a memorial for a former chief minister was not a new practice, and that Jayalalithaa deserved a memorial as she was a popular leader.

The beachside memorial, to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 50.8 crore, will resemble a phoenix to depict Jayalalithaa in her cinematic and political life. It includes a 15-metre-tall monument, a museum and a ‘knowledge park’, surrounded by landscaped gardens and two roaring lions at the entrance. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam laid the foundation stone of the project on 7 May, 2018.

Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital on the night of 22 September, 2016, and passed away on 5 December, 2016. After her death, several leaders have raised suspicions over the circumstances that led to her demise.

With inputs from agencies