Supreme Court dismisses plea against Jayalalithaa memorial

New Delhi, Apr 22: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere in a petition seeking cancellation of construction of former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa's memorial at Marina beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Advocate M L Ravi had sought the stay, which was earlier also dismissed by the Madras High Court in January.

The state government had earlier said that constructing a memorial for a former chief minister was not a new practice, and that Jayalalithaa deserved a memorial as she was a popular leader.

The beachside memorial, to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 50.8 crore, will resemble a phoenix to depict Jayalalithaa in her cinematic and political life. It includes a 15-metre-tall monument, a museum and a 'knowledge park', surrounded by landscaped gardens and two roaring lions at the entrance. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam laid the foundation stone of the project on 7 May, 2018.

Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital on the night of 22 September, 2016, and passed away on 5 December, 2016. After her death, several leaders have raised suspicions over the circumstances that led to her demise.