Three days after expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader VK Sasikala returned to Tamil Nadu, the authorities in several districts seized properties belonging to her and her relatives, News18 reported on Thursday.

In Kanchipuram district, the authorities seized 144 acres of land worth Rs 300 crore. They seized a property measuring 26,000 square feet in Thanjavur and assessed nearly 1,050 acres in Tiruvarur. The property in Tiruvarur belongs to an agro mill owned by Sasikala and her relatives, according to The Hindu.

District officials said in a statement that the properties were seized after they received court orders related to the disproportionate assets case against Sasikala, her sister-in-law J Ilavarasi and nephew VN Sudhakaran. Sasikala served a four-year jail term in the case.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami denied any political motive behind the seizure of the properties. “These seizures not in any way related to politics,” he was quoted as saying by News18. “The courts have given their rulings and those who have to take action based on that are doing their job. This isn’t political at all.”

Also read: VK Sasikala announces return to politics, urges AIADMK to unite against ‘common enemy’ DMK

Sasikala returned to Tamil Nadu on Monday after completing her sentence in Karnataka. She was given a rousing welcome by her supporters. Ahead of Assembly elections in the state, Sasikala announced that she will return to politics. She urged the AIADMK to unite against the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

However, Palaniswami had ruled out any possibility of Sasikala rejoining the AIADMK. Meanwhile, her nephew TTV Dhinakaran formed a breakaway faction of the AIADMK, called the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam.

Sasikala, who was a close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, was convicted in the disproportionate assets case on February 14, 2017. Sasikala was released from a jail in Bengaluru on January 27. After her release, she was moved to a hospital for coronavirus treatment and discharged on January 31. She stayed in quarantine for a few days before returning to Tamil Nadu.