Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has said that the property of the emu farm owners would be confiscated and the money would be returned to investors to mitigate losses suffered in the multi-crore investment racket.

So far, 89 complaints worth more than Rs 2 crore have been filed against Susi Emu farm alone. Investors filed another 23 complaints against Queen Emu Farms, and 134 and 50 complaints against TVS Emu Farm and 50 against Alama Farms, respectively.

Chairing a review meeting to discuss the issue, Jayalalithaa on Friday said, "I have directed police to return the money of the depositors by confiscating the property of the emu farm owners through court," she said in a statement."

The announcement was made as the state's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) arrested Perundurai-based Nidhi Emu Farms' partner P. Karthikeyan for his supposed role in the emu contract farming swindle.

Earlier on August 14, police arrested the Nidhi Emu Farms' managing director Palanisamy following complaints that the firm didn't returns on their investments.

As thousands of emu chicks left unattended and some of them died after their owners absconded, Jayalalithaa directed the state's Animal Husbandry department to give due care to the birds. Once the chicks grow, the department will sell them and the part of the money will be used to cover fodder expenses incurred by the department, while the balance will be distributed among investors.