Two of J Jayalalithaa's Chennai properties now a tea shop and a dump yard
Yogesh Kabirdoss | TNN | Jan 26, 2019, 07:15 IST
A tea shop at J Jayalalithaa's propertyIt may be tough to go anywhere near former chief minister J Jayalalithaa's 'Veda Nilayam' residence at Poes Garden, but her other two properties in the city have been reduced to a dump yard and a tea shop.
Door number 213/B on St Mary’s Road in Mandaveli was, TOI found, a dilapidated 1500sqft building with construction debris dumped all around. Rusting spare parts of old two-wheelers were strewn at the entrance, adding to the disarray. Used two-wheelers covered with thick sheets of transparent plastic were parked inside the ground-plus-one storey building.
Shop number 18 is a 120sqft space on the ground floor of Parsn Manor near Anna flyover and houses a tea shop. None of those sipping tea there were aware who owned the shop. When this correspondent brought the matter up with a shop employee, a customer turned around in surprise and exclaimed, "What? Is it Jayalalithaa's (property)?"
On Thursday, the income tax department shocked the state by filing an affidavit in the Madras high court, disclosing that four properties including her Poes Garden residence and these two premises had been attached for IT dues amounting to Rs 16 crore in 2007 itself. The fourth property is in Hyderabad’s Sri Nagar Colony.
A source at the tea shop said Rs 9,000 was being paid as monthly rent at the "Garden Office" (referring to Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa) every month. Before the tea stall came to the location 17 years ago, a photocopying shop was being run by a relative of VK Sasikala. "It was rented for Rs 3,500 a month initially," the source added.
K Illango, a shopkeeper running a repair shop at St Marys Road, said Jayalalithaa had purchased the Mandaveli property before 1980 when she was an actress. "Initially, it was a rice shop. After it changed hands, the property was rented out to several tenants over the years — to a leather company, a two-wheeler showroom and a tyre shop," he said. Finally, it was taken for rent for a two-wheeler garage. He claimed that Rs 75,000 a month was being paid as rent by the tenant till 2016.
Bala, an auto driver, said he saw shutters being opened by someone last week and waste materials being stored. "Shutters were downed and reopened on and off in the last few months," he added. A car driver employed in the adjacent apartment complex, an ardent Jayalalithaa fan, complained the scrap materials were being pilfered from the property in the last six months.
Door number 213/B on St Mary’s Road in Mandaveli was, TOI found, a dilapidated 1500sqft building with construction debris dumped all around. Rusting spare parts of old two-wheelers were strewn at the entrance, adding to the disarray. Used two-wheelers covered with thick sheets of transparent plastic were parked inside the ground-plus-one storey building.
Shop number 18 is a 120sqft space on the ground floor of Parsn Manor near Anna flyover and houses a tea shop. None of those sipping tea there were aware who owned the shop. When this correspondent brought the matter up with a shop employee, a customer turned around in surprise and exclaimed, "What? Is it Jayalalithaa's (property)?"
On Thursday, the income tax department shocked the state by filing an affidavit in the Madras high court, disclosing that four properties including her Poes Garden residence and these two premises had been attached for IT dues amounting to Rs 16 crore in 2007 itself. The fourth property is in Hyderabad’s Sri Nagar Colony.
A source at the tea shop said Rs 9,000 was being paid as monthly rent at the "Garden Office" (referring to Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa) every month. Before the tea stall came to the location 17 years ago, a photocopying shop was being run by a relative of VK Sasikala. "It was rented for Rs 3,500 a month initially," the source added.
K Illango, a shopkeeper running a repair shop at St Marys Road, said Jayalalithaa had purchased the Mandaveli property before 1980 when she was an actress. "Initially, it was a rice shop. After it changed hands, the property was rented out to several tenants over the years — to a leather company, a two-wheeler showroom and a tyre shop," he said. Finally, it was taken for rent for a two-wheeler garage. He claimed that Rs 75,000 a month was being paid as rent by the tenant till 2016.
Bala, an auto driver, said he saw shutters being opened by someone last week and waste materials being stored. "Shutters were downed and reopened on and off in the last few months," he added. A car driver employed in the adjacent apartment complex, an ardent Jayalalithaa fan, complained the scrap materials were being pilfered from the property in the last six months.
All Comments ()+^ Back to Top
Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.
HIDE