Two years since former chief minister Jayalalithaa passed away, mysteries surrounding her life and death have been tumbling out one by one. One such shocker was unravelled by the income tax department when it informed the Madras High Court that her posh Poes Garden residence was under attachment for non payment of income tax dues over Rs 16 crores.
In 2017, THE WEEK traced Jayalalithaa’s properties and the legal claimants for her assets, bringing out in detail the properties legally owned by Jayalalithaa. The colossal grape garden in Hyderabad, the swanky Siruthavoor bungalow and the splendid Kodanadu estate were Jayalalithaa's abodes during her brief sojourns. But her Poes Garden residence, popularly known as Veda Nilayam, was her home, a place for her emotional retreat, where she spent most part of her life. After all, the Poes Garden residence was her mother's. Jayalalithaa named it after her mother, Vedavalli (aka Sandhya), who was her mentor, guide and philosopher. In fact, the house warming invitation sent out by Jayalalithaa to her friends and relatives in 1972, a copy of which is available with THE WEEK, talks about her emotional attachment with Veda Nilayam. The house warming ceremony, as per the invitation, was held on May 15, 1972 early in the morning, followed by dinner and a veena recital by Chittibabu in the evening.
Once a place of comfort and Jayalalithaa's chamber of secrets that saw the ups and downs in her life, Veda Nilayam has now turned into a silent sentinel witnessing the barbs against a legendary leader who preferred a reclusive life, apart from her political meetings. The latest in line being the affidavit filed by the income tax department stating that four of her properties, including her Poes Garden residence, are under attachment.
“As per the records available with the Income Tax Department, the details of the tax dues and immovable properties which are under attachment of late Selvi J. Jayalalithaa is enclosed. The income tax department has recovered Rs 5.65 croes in this case. Assessee has filed return for the assessment year 2016-17 declaring the total income of Rs 1,27,20,230 and has paid advance tax of Rs 31,30,000 and TDS of Rs 15,08,413. For the assessment year 2017-18, no return was filed by the legal heir of the assessee,” says G. Shoba, deputy commissioner of income tax in the affidavit filed by her before the Madras High Court. The affidavit was filed by the income tax department as the 7th respondent in a PIL against converting her Poes Garden residence into a memorial.
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The two annexures say that the properties were attached as early as 2007 and 2013. The Poes Garden property as per the income tax affidavit was attached on March 13, 2007, which means that Jayalalithaa was living in a property that was attached by the income tax department for more than a decade. However, sources close to the Mannargudi family, who also lived in the Poes Garden residence, said on conditions of anonymity, “There were many proceedings with the income tax department. But she always paid her tax dues and as far as our knowledge goes, the property was not attached by the income tax department.”
The wealth tax dues since 1991 as per the annexure stand at Rs 10,12,01,407 and the income tax dues since 2005-06 is Rs 6,62,97,720. Annexure two says that her Poes Garden residence, two of the commercial buildings at Mylapore and Teynampet in Chennai and her Srinagar Colony residence in Hyderabad are under attachment.
However, it remains unclear through the affidavit, if the income tax department went ahead with the revenue recovery proceedings before attaching the property and if Jayalalithaa had fought any appeal against the department in this case. Jayalalithaa, in her election affidavits in 2011 and 2016, did not mention the income tax attachment. While there is a mention of the jewels that were attached by the DVAC in the Disproportionate Assets case, Jayalalithaa’s election affidavits do not mention the income tax cases or attachments.
None of the senior AIADMK leaders, however, have opined on the income tax department’s submissions. Meanwhile, the case has been posted for hearing on February 7.