Jayalalithaa ‘daughter’ claims: Supreme Court junks plea

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a writ petition from a woman, Amrutha alias Manjula, claiming to be the biological daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, seeking a DNA test to substantiate her claim.

A bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Neveen Gupta while rejecting the petition gave her liberty to approach the Karnataka high court for relief as she is staying in Bengaluru.

The Bengaluru-based woman along with two other elder cousins — L.S. Lalitha and Ranjani Ravindranatha — sought the Supreme Court intervention as her efforts to meet Jayalalithaa during her lifetime was in vain as Sasikala family prevented such a meeting. She was also not allowed to attend the burial ceremony.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising and Bina Madh-avan justified the petitioner directly approac-hing the top court as there is surcharged atm-osphere in Tamil Nadu.

It will not be to her wellbeing if Amrutha files a petition in the Madras high court, as she felt threatened in the political atmosphere.

Ms Jaising also said that Jayalalithaa was given a state funeral and cremated without involving her family members. She was buried against the Iyengar Brahminical custom under which the body should be cremated. According to the Hindu custom, once a body is buried, it has to be cremated within one year, which is fast approaching as Jayalalitha died on December 5.

Ms Jaising asked the judges to interact with Amrutha who was present in the court so that they could ascertain the facts from her. Only the DNA test would prove whether the petitioner is the biological daughter of Jayalalithaa or not. Even if the test goes against the petitioner even then she will be entitled to the property, as she was one of the legal heirs as Jayalalithaa’s sister’s daughter. The bench, however, refused to go into the details and asked her to move the Karnataka high court.

Explaining her relationship, Ms. Amrutha in her petition said her adoptive mother Shylaja, sister of Ms. Jayalalithaa died in 2015. Adoptive father Sarathy died on March 20 this year. They adopted her as they did not have a child. Before his death, his father had confessed to her she is the biological daughter of Jayalalithaa and her birth and adoption were kept secret to uphold the family’s dignity. She said she was born in Mylapore on August 14, 1980 where Shylaja was residing.

According to her she grew up as the daughter of Shylaja and it was only after the death of Jayalalithaa that she came to know through her cousins (co-petitioners in the case) and close family members that she is in fact the biological daughter of the late Chief Minister.

She asserted that it was decided by the family members that her birth from unwed mother will be kept as a secret and that they will not disclose the true facts and circumstances. According to Amrutha she had completed her basic school education in Bangalore under the care of Shylaja and Sarathy whom she always assumed as her parents, until Jayalalithaa’s death.

According to Amrutha the late Jayalalithaa had never expressed any desire or wish to be buried after her demise, but was buried under questionable circumstances. Hence, she pleaded that it is necessary to conduct DNA of Jayalalithaa, to determine her claim of being her biological daughter.