Kodanad estate case: SC dismisses petition seeking CBI probe

New Delhi, Jan 25: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking CBI investigation into controversy over the break-in at former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's Kodanad estate in 2017. The petition was filed by social activist KR Ramaswamy also known as Traffic Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy had on January 14 sought CBI probe into the matter after some new details emerged in connection with the case.

In April 2017, the security guard of the Kodanad estate, Jayalalithaa's retreat home in the hilly district of the Nilgiris, was found dead. It emerged during the probe that Jayalalithaa's former driver C Kanagaraj and K V Sayan had allegedly plotted the crime. A total of ten people had been arrested in the case, with a charge sheet also being filed.

According to reports, a 16-minute video was released by former Tehelka editor Samuel Mathew in Delhi on Friday (January 11), which claimed that the break-in and subsequent deaths of those involved in the crime, was linked to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisami. Based on interviews with men involved in the break-in, the journalist alleged that the crime was ordered by the Chief Minister to retrieve important documents from the estate.

Palaniswami had refuted the allegations and denied any involvement. He has also reportedly given a complaint to the Chennai police against the journalist.

"Yesterday (Friday), former Tehelka editor Samuel Mathews released a video which links me to an incident (break-in) that occurred in Amma's Kodanad estate on April 24, 2017. This (charge) is completely contrary to facts, and there is no iota of truth in it," the Tamil Nadu CM told reporters on January 12.