Sasikala’s properties near Chennai attached under Benami Act

A sprawling bungalow and other properties belonging to ousted AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala were on Wednesday attached by the Income Tax department under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.

The properties are located at Payyanur village, near Siruthavar where J Jayalalithaa and Sasikala owns another bungalow that was also attached earlier this year, on the outskirts of Chennai. The Payyanur bungalow was bought by Jayalalithaa and Sasikala in 1994 from famous music composer Gangai Amaran, who is also the brother of Ilaiyaraja.

Income Tax authorities attached the bungalow and vacant land adjacent to the sprawling mansion in Payyanur on Wednesday. Several properties belonging to Sasikala and her family members were attached under the Benami Act in 2020 and 2021.

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Sasikala, her sister-in-law Ilavarasai, and Jayalalithaa’s foster son V N Sudhakaran underwent four years imprisonment in a disproportionate assets (DA) case linked with the former Chief Minister. However, Jayalalithaa’s conviction by the trial court could not be upheld as she had passed away by the time Supreme Court delivered its verdict on appeal against Karnataka’s High Court exonerating her in the case.

Kodanad Bungalow, which is now at the centre of a raging row over the heist-cum-murder case, was also attached by the IT authorities in connection with the DA case.