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Jayalalithaa returns land to TANSI

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai Dec. 31. On the eve of the new year, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, and her friend, N. Sasikalaa, today "gifted" their 3.0786 acres of land, which they bought a decade ago from the State-owned TANSI, back to the Government undertaking.

Even as Ms. Jayalalithaa is holidaying in Hyderabad, the land she bought in February 1992 for more than Rs. 1.68 crores, pushing her into yet-to-end legal and political trouble, was registered back in the name of TANSI (Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation) by a City Sub-Registrar office this afternoon. A Government Order was issued a couple of days ago, paving the way for the return of the property.

When Ms. Jayalalithaa and Ms. Sasikalaa offered to gift the land a couple of months ago, the TANSI Board expressed inability at taking back the land as it was attached in February 1997. But, the Court of Small Causes, Chennai, in its order of November 21, 2002, lifted the attachment and gave a conditional permission for "re-conveyance" of the property to the "parent Corporation".

And, one of the conditions was that the land should be returned by December 31.The court also stated, "the price in the reconveyance will be the same as that in the earlier sale deed by TANSI" in favour of Ms. Jayalalithaa and Ms. Sasikalaa. "We have only acted as per court order," said a highly-placed government source, confirming the "new year eve gift" to TANSI.

Ms. Jayalalithaa was sentenced to three years' imprisonment by a Special Court set up during the former DMK regime, and consequently, she was disqualified from contesting the Assembly election in May 2001. Though she rode her party back to power, Ms. Jayalalithaa had to step down from Chief Ministership in September last year, following a Supreme Court order which held that a convicted person cannot hold the post. But, three months later, Ms. Jayalalithaa and Ms. Sasikala were acquitted of all charges in the case.

But the TANSI case is not yet over as the Supreme Court verdict is awaited on the appeal against the acquittal.

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