Chennai: The Income Tax Department has been ordered by the Madras High Court to include the legal heirs of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the wealth case filed against her.

On Monday, a division bench of the Madras High Court, consisting of Justice R. Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaiq, granted the Income Tax Department two weeks to include J. Deepa and J. Deepak, the late Chief Minister's niece and nephew, in the wealth tax case against her.

The income tax department had filed a petition appealing the decision of the income tax appellate tribunal in relation to the I-T department's action for the collection of wealth and income tax arrears totaling over Rs 16 crore. The Income Tax Department had asked the court to attach the former Chief Minister's mansion, Veda Nilayam, and other properties in connection with tax arrears.

The Income Tax Government's lawyer told the court that they were unable to determine the late Chief Minister's legal heirs, but that now that the Madras High Court has declared J. Deepa and J. Deepak to be her legal heirs, the department can add them as party respondents. The court also ordered the Income Tax Department to investigate whether any lawful heirship petitions were pending in any court.

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