Peter Craig Jones now operates the tea gardens of K C Palanisamy.
Twenty three years after selling his 900-acre property in Kodanad tea estate, a man has alleged that had been forced to do so by VK Sasikala and that he would file a complaint with the police against her. Peter Craig Jones told NDTV that his father had developed the Kodanand tea estate near Ooty. But Ms Sasikala and her friends had got hold of it in 1994 through "coercion".
Ms Sasikala, the long-time live-in aide of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, is currently in jail in a case of disproportionate assets. The Kodanand tea estate - one of the most prized assets in Jayalalithaa's sprawling real estate portfolio - was second home to her and Ms Sasikala. After Ms Sasikala's conviction by the Supreme Court in February, there was considerable speculation on whether the tea estate will be the attached (or seized as per the top court order?). "I waited 23 years for the assets case to be over," Mr Jones told NDTV.
According to Mr Jones, the sale was not made directly to the former Chief Minister or Ms Sasikala. He said they made him sell it to the late liquor baron Ramasamy Udayar for a vastly reduced rate -- just Rs 7.6 crore, though its market value was nearly double.
Immediately after buying the estate, Mr Udayar transferred it to Ms Sasikala. Mr Jones said when he asked for more money, he was threatened by Mr Udayar, senior party leaders, labour union leaders and anti-social elements. "They pressured us directly, contacted our business associates and friends and through them they threatened us. If we don't sell none would ever buy from us they warned," he said.
Mr Jones's allegations come months after a split in the party following a rebellion by Jayalalithaa loyalist O Panneerselvam. At stake are the control of the party and the post of the Chief Minister.
Mr Jones, who now operates the tea gardens of an anti-Sasikala AIADMK leader, K C Palanisamy, said his allegations are not politically motivated. "I'm not working for rebel AIADMK leader K C Palaniswamy. I'm developing his tea estates for several years out of my passion before this split in his party... I want to hold corrupt politicians accountable," he said.
V Pugalendhi, a staunch Sasikala loyalist who heads AIADMK's Karnataka unit, asked why Mr Jones kept quiet for 23 years. "The DMK was in power twice. He could have complained then. Just because madam is in jail they raise this now," he added.