Madras HC rejects plea against construction of Jaya memorial at Marina beach

CHENNAI: A division bench of the Madras High Court has rejected a PIL petition opposing construction of memorial for former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on the Marina Beach.

The bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and P Rajamanickam dismissed the petition from M L Ravi of  an outfit - Desiya Makkal Sakthi - on Wednesday.

ALSO

The PIL prayed for a directive to the authorities concerned not to spend money from public exchequer for construction of the memorial and to take steps to recover the money, if any spent, by the government from her property or any other source. The interim prayer is to restrain the authorities from constructing the memorial.

The petitioner had contended that a memorial should not be constructed for a person, who had been convicted by the trial court in disproportionate assets case and confirmed by the Supreme Court.

The bench pointed out that before the pronouncement of the orders by the  Supreme Court in the criminal appeals preferred by the Karnataka government and another, Jayalalithaa died and therefore, the appeals preferred against her got abated. Hence, it cannot be said that she became a convict. The petitioner did not make a challenge to the sanction of funds and the clearances accorded/obtained for construction of the memorial and even otherwise, the bench said that it is of the view that the grounds urged by the petitioner lacked merit.

In the result, the writ petition stands dismissed.

The State government may endeavour to take a call/formulate a policy decision in future, to go for construction of hospitals, schools, colleges and provision of basic amenities/facilities to benefit the public/citizens, in honour and memory of the great leaders, the judges suggested.