Hyderabad, Dec. 20: Hyderabad High Court today dismissed the petition of an NGO president seeking government takeover of Jayalalithaa's properties in the city and fined him Rs 1 lakh.

G. Bhargavi, the president of Gareeb Guide, had contended that the late Tamil Nadu chief minister had never married and had not left any legal heir or will.

"Citing Hindu succession laws, we had urged the court to direct the Telangana government to take over her properties in Hyderabad so that they could be declared as public and utilised for public purposes," said D.V. Rao, the advocate representing Gareeb Guide.

Jayalalithaa, who used to visit Hyderabad frequently to act in Telugu movies, has a farmland of over 10 acres on the outskirts of the city and a house in Sirnagar Colony, which is now reportedly leased to a private firm. Rao claimed the value of Jayalalithaa's properties in Hyderabad was "about Rs 55 crore".

The court directed the Telangana government to recover the fine of Rs 1 lakh from Bhargavi within four weeks.

"The court wanted evidence to prove that no will was left behind by Jayalalithaa," Rao said. The advocate said a special leave petition would be filed in the Supreme Court.