Chennai: Vivek Jayaraman, the cynosure of all eyes after he was taken to the Income Tax office here following conclusion of five-day long raids at his offices and residence, is the son of V.K. Sasikala’s brother Jayaraman who died while working at a farm owned by late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Vivek, who is in his late 20s, is the Managing Director of Jaya Television Network and Chief Executive Officer of Jazz Cinemas, that runs a multiplex in the heart of the city, besides controlling several other firms and industries that are owned by the Mannargudi Family.
Vivek’s mother Ilavarasi is serving four-year imprisonment in the disproportionate assets (DA) case along with Sasikala at the Parapana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru.
Vivek’s father Jayaraman died in December 1991 due to electrocution while attending to works in the Grape Garden owned by Jayalalithaa in Hyderabad – an incident that prompted Jayalalithaa to bring his wife Ilavarasi, her son Vivek and two daughters to Chennai and make live with her at the palatial Poes Garden bungalow.
“Ever since they moved to Poes Garden, Jayalalithaa was very much affectionate towards Vivek and Jayaraman’s daughters since their father died while working in her farms. She ensured all got good education and she even sent Vivek abroad to complete his higher studies,” a source told Deccan Chronicle.
The source said that since Vivek was just a toddler when Jayaraman died, Jayalalithaa showered all love and affection on him. After he returned from abroad, he was asked by Jayalalithaa to take over the administration of her Poes Garden residence and gradually he began getting into businesses owned by the Mannargudi Family.
Vivek rose into prominence in November 2015 when his Jazz Cinemas acquired Luke Cinemas, the multiplex in the Phoenix Mall in Velachery, from SPI Cinemas, popularly known as Sathyam Theatres. It was alleged then that SPI Cinemas was coerced into selling their multiplex at the mall to Vivek, who later renamed it as Jazz Cinemas.
I-T sources say Vivek was linked to nearly 100 shell companies and documents related to his connection have been seized during the five-day long searches at his residence and office of Jaya TV.
