By Shankar Raj*
Bengaluru: It is common to see seized motorcycles, cars and buses rusting and rotting in front of police stations as accident cases crawl at a snail’s pace. But in a peculiar case, a Bengaluru court has been sitting over 11,344 saris, 250 shawls and 750 pairs of footwear for the past 26 years.
These items were seized from the late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayaram Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets cases.
Now an RTI activist has sent a missive to the Chief Justice of India and Chief Justice of Karnataka high court seeking their intervention in disposing off the perishable assets which were seized from Jaya’s Poes Garden residence on December 11, 1996.
According to sources, since November 2003, the sarees, shawls and footwear have been stored in the government treasury in Vidhana Soudha.
Since these are all perishable items, the activist has requested the court to dispose them off at the earliest, mostly through public auction.
“As per some textile experts, folding of textile materials, especially saris of whatsoever material, will fade and lose its quality thereafter. Even the colours will deteriorate. Shawls will likewise, will become of poor quality. Similarly, leather footwear will lose its quality and strength. These materials are in the custody of the court for 26 years. Keeping them under such circumstances, if otherwise, not in a requirement for the purposes of evidence or other court requirements will serve the public good to dispose of the same,” said RTI activist T Narasimhamurthy in his application.
*Shankar Raj is former Editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
