The legend of Jayalalithaa’s jewels: 27 years hence, some stories remain golden

The case of J Jayalalithaa’s jewels is a Tamil Nadu story worth its weight – and wait – in gold. And now it is enjoying a fresh airing after the special court in Bengaluru ordered the transfer of assets owned by the late AIADMK supremo and former chief minister of the state to the Tamil Nadu government.

It all started in 1997, a year after Jayalalithaa had ceded power following her first term as Tamil Nadu CM. Her rivalry with the late M Karunanidhi – which would last their lifetimes – was at its peak, and under the DMK chief as CM, the regime registered a disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa.

The Income-Tax raids that followed at Jayalalithaa’s Veda Nilayam bungalow in Poes Garden led to seizures which captured the public imagination – fuelled as much by DMK leaders as the extent of the assets found.

Her long stint as a successful actor as one possible explanation was swept aside in the frenzy of reports talking of “10,500 saris, 750 pairs of slippers” and, especially, “500 wine glasses”, apart from 21.28 kg of gold jewellery worth Rs 3.5 crore, 1,250 kg of silver articles worth Rs 3.12 crore, diamonds worth Rs 2 crore (all as per 2015 prices), and a silver sword.

The AIADMK chief reacted to this with a resolve to not wear any ornaments from then on, and largely stuck to this for the remainder of her life.

These assets were moved to the Bangalore City Civil Court and kept in the treasury when her case was shifted there in 2000, on Jayalalithaa’s apprehensions that she may not get a fair, impartial trial in Tamil Nadu.

In February 2000, when the seized items were brought to Chennai’s Special Court-I for inventory and marking as prosecution exhibits, a fresh spree of reports followed. The pieces displayed included