Sasikala’s under-construction bungalow in Poes Garden to be attached: Income Tax dept

The said premise is located just opposite to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s sprawling bungalow in upscale Poes Garden here.

I-T officials pasted a copy of the provisional order outside the under-construction premises, while another copy has been served to Sasikala in the prison.

The order was pasted two days after the I-T department said it has initiated the process of attaching properties, including the aforementioned one, worth Rs 300 crore belonging to Sasikala held through benamis.

Income Tax department on Wednesday issued a provisional attachment order to initiate the process of attaching a property owned by jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala through her benami.

The said premise is located just opposite to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s sprawling bungalow in upscale Poes Garden here.

The premises spread over an area of over 22,000 square feet is to be attached under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act by the Income Tax Department.

A huge bungalow is being constructed currently on the land for Sasikala to stay once she comes out of the Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru after completing her four-year jail sentence in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.

I-T officials pasted a copy of the provisional order outside the under-construction premises, while another copy has been served to Sasikala in the prison. The order was pasted two days after the I-T department said it has initiated the process of attaching properties, including the aforementioned one, worth Rs 300 crore belonging to Sasikala held through benamis.

Besides Sasikala, a copy of the notice was also served to Hari Chandana Estates, who owns the property. Sources said these properties were purchased between 2003 and 2005 in the name of Hari Chandana estates.

The timing of the notice is significant as Sasikala’s family had begun construction work on the premises so that she can stay in the brand-new bungalow once she walks free from the jail. The jail term of the long-time aide of Jayalalithaa will end in February 2021 but she will eligible for an early release, according to some, as she has not used her regular leaves.

Besides the Poes Garden premises, 64 other properties owned by Sasikala through her benamis will be attached and the combined value of the properties is Rs 300 crore.

Last year, the I-T sleuths had attached assets worth Rs 1,500 crore allegedly purchased by Sasikala after demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes was announced by the Centre in November 2016.

The properties, including a mall in Chennai and a resort in neighbouring Puducherry, were attached under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act as it was suspected that Sasikala bought these and controlled through others.

Sasikala is serving four-year imprisonment in the disproportionate assets (DA) case in which Jayalalithaa is also an accused. But she was not convicted as she had died when the final verdict was delivered by the Supreme Court in 2017.