HC pulls up Official Assignee for no action against Jayapradha

Chennai, Mar 6 (UNI) The Madras High Court today pulled up its Official Assignee for not taking any action after the court had declared Samajwadi Party MP Jayapradha and two of her brothers as insolvents in September 2006.

When Ms Jayapradha's case, seeking to revoke the insolvency order came up for hearing, Justice V Ramasubraianian asked Official Assignee S Sitrarasu as to why he had not taken any action since September 2006, when the petitioners were declared as insolvents and he was appointed the Official Assignee.

The court had declared Ms Jayapradha and two of her brothers, Rajbabu and Sriramkumar as insolvents on a creditor's petition and had directed the Official Assignee to settle the dues after disposing of the properties owned by them.

The official assignee however, took no action and the ''insolvency matter'' came to light when the Chennai Corporation obtained an order to confiscate the properties in two theatres owned by Ms Jayapradha and her brothers for non payment of property tax of about Rs 20 lakh.

On seeing reports in this regard in newspapers, the Official Assignee wrote to the Corporation, stating that it should file a claim before him as petitioners were declared as insolvents.

Meanwhile, Ms Jayapradha and her brothers moved the High Court, seeking to revoke the insolvency order and also filed a petition to condole them for coming to the court after more than 500 days.

As directed by the Court, the petitioners offered to pay 50 per cent of the property tax to the Corporation and settle the dues of Rs 5.40 lakhsto Woodlands theatre, on whose petition they were declared as insolvents.

As there were some discrepencies in the Demand Drafts brought by the petitioners, the Judge directed them to bring fresh DDs and posted the hearing for tomorrow.

UNI XR/WS AJ AKJ RK1930