High-security convoy brings Jayalalithaa's 27kg gold back to TN after 20 yrs – The Times of India
BENGALURU: For two decades, 27kg of J Jayalalithaa’s gold – once adorning Tamil Nadu’s halls of power – lay locked away in Karnataka government’s treasury, far from its opulent origins. However, on Saturday, the “treasure” worth an estimated Rs 20-22 crore was finally set on a high-security homecoming journey back to Chennai in a convoy fit for royalty.
Following a court order to hand over seized valuables of the late Tamil Nadu CM to the state govt, the formal transfer proceedings began Friday with an armed posse entrusted with the responsibility of transporting the valuables in six sealed boxes – over eight years after Jayalalithaa’s death. Around 40 police officials in six police vehicles, led by an official of the rank of SP, were part of the convoy, with the “gold truck” in the middle.
The gold ornaments include a gold-coated sword, a gold crown, a gold plate, a gold waist belt, a gold figurine resembling Jayalalithaa, gold watches, gold pens, and several bangles and earrings.
The gold ornaments (some studded with diamonds), along with silver items and a few land documents, were seized from the Poes Garden residence of the then CM and were brought to Bengaluru in 2004. That was when a special court was set up in the city to hear the disproportionate assets case registered against Jayalalithaa and three of her associates – Sasikala Natarajan, VN Sudhakaran, and J Ilavarasi.
Special judge John Michael D’Cunha had convicted all four in 2014 and sentenced them to four years in jail. Additionally, while Jayalalithaa was fined Rs 100 crore, the other three were fined Rs 10 crore each.
Public prosecutor Kiran S Javali said TN govt can either deposit the gold with RBI or conduct a public auction after evaluation of the ornaments. “The total expenditure on the trial came to Rs 13 crore. This will be recovered from the fine received from Sasikala, and the remaining will be transferred to TN govt,” Javali said.
