Chennai: The Income Tax Department on Wednesday attached properties including farm bungalows near Chennai belonging to VK Sasikala, close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.
The properties estimated to be worth nearly Rs 100 crore as per current market price are located at Payyanur village near Siruthavur, on the outskirts of Chennai. The properties spread across 24 acres were purchased between 1991 and 1996 when Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister.
Some of these properties were allegedly purchased at below market prices with some property owners claiming they sold it under duress. These properties were treated as assets disproportionate to the known sources of income of Jayalalithaa, who during those five years infamously drew a token monthly salary of one rupee, and the other co-accused Sasikala, her sister-in-law Ilavarasi and nephew Sudhagaran.
A trial court in Karnataka had convicted all four accused in the case. The Supreme Court had upheld the punishment but said the charges against Jayalalithaa would abate as she had died. Sasikala and Ilavarasi spent four years in jail, while Sudhagaran is still incarcerated as he did not pay the penalty in the case.
