Jackson judge orders Grand Chateau apartment owner extradited and jailed

A judge has ordered the owner of Jackson’s troubled Grand Chateau apartments be extradited and jailed after failing to comply with previous rulings to demolish the blighted property.

In an order released Thursday, Jackson Environmental Court Judge Jeffery Reynolds issued a “nonappealable judgment of conviction” against Ramesh Ramchandran, which requires the property owner to serve nearly two years in the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond. 

The order comes after Ramchandran failed to comply with a previous order issued last month that required him to begin demolition or restoration of the property after incurring several building code violations. 

The previous order granted Ramchandran a 30-day suspension on the sentence contingent on progress made towards demolition or restoration. 

In his order, the judge called the property “a dangerous menace to the residents of the City of Jackson,” adding that Ramchandran showed “criminal neglect.”

Ramchandran did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

The Grand Chateau is one of several complexes in legal limbo as the city pushes more aggressive efforts to fight against blighted properties plaguing the city. 

While the order sentenced Ramchandran to 630 days in jail, it remains to be seen how much time he will actually serve. As part of his ruling, Reynolds said early release would require his written authorization.

Ramchandran lives in Georgia, and is believed to have returned to his Alpharetta home after his initial sentencing in September. Due to this, a warrant for Ramchandran’s arrest would be required for Jackson Capitol Police officers to collect Ramchandran from his residence. 

Reynolds requested that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issue a warrant for Ramchandran’s arrest. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Department told Mississippi Today it cannot provide information regarding warrants. 

Ramchandran has owned the West Capitol Street property since 2021. It’s most notably known for a recent controversy, in which Entergy cut power to the complex in July over alleged signs of meter tampering. 

The complex was supposed to be abandoned at the time of the power shutoff. However, over a dozen squatters were found still living on the premises.