In a dramatic turn of events for Rajya Sabha MP Sasikala Pushpa, the Family Court in Madurai has stayed her marriage to Dr B Ramaswamy, set to take place on Monday, as his earlier marriage is still legally valid. The MP and Ramaswamy were due to get married in Delhi.
The order was pronounced based on a petition filed by Sathyapriya, 34, who had alleged that she hadn’t yet officially divorced Ramaswamy, and hence, his wedding to Sasikala Pushka was legally invalid.
The order by Judge N Venkadavaradhan notes, “This court upon consideration of these circumstances finds that the petitioner has prima facie established the subsistence of a valid marriage and if at all the respondent wants to have another marriage, he has to seek a valid relief before the court of law and then also contract another marriage. Hence, under these circumstances, this court feels that it would be just and reasonable to stay the contract of marriage if any by the respondent with any other lady till the disposal of the main HMOP.”
While a wedding for a close circle of friends and family was planned at the Lalit Hotel in New Delhi, Sathyapriya’s counsel told TNM, “The judgement copy has stayed the marriage. It is enforceable from the time the order was pronounced. Beyond this, if they conduct a marriage, then it is contempt of court.”
Request for mercy killing
On Tuesday, in a letter to the district collector of Madurai, Sathyapriya had pleaded for death. “I request you to please return my husband to me. My husband is my husband. If he doesn’t wish to live with me, I request permission for the mercy killing of myself and my child,” she said.
In her letter to the Collector, Sathyapriya says things took a turn for the worse when she informed him about the birth of their girl child. “Up until the child was born, we were talking happily on the phone. As soon as I had a girl child, he stopped talking to me. When I was able to contact him again, I told him we have a girl child and he said, I don’t want you or the girl child,” she wrote.
Background
Speaking to TNM, Sathyapriya said her wedding to Ramaswamy took place on December 10, 2014. “Our family met him through a marriage broker. My family wanted a once-married groom due to my horoscope. I never met his parents. He kept reassuring me that they will come, but they didn’t turn up even for the wedding.”
Sathyapriya says that the couple was happily married till the fourth month of her pregnancy. She says, “After the marriage, I went to Delhi and stayed with my husband. Even when I was pregnant, he only took care of me and sent me to my parents’ house. He said he will bring me back after the vazhagappu (baby shower).”
However, she also says that there were CCTV cameras inside the house. Justifying the ‘constant monitoring’, she says, “But he had doubts and was very protective of me. He would safeguard me like that. He wouldn’t allow anyone to meet me.”
Threats and abuses
Sathyapriya alleges that Ramaswamy did not come to even see their daughter after she was born. Instead, rowdies turned up at her parent’s house in Madurai, where was staying. “People first came and offered money for me to sign divorce papers. Then they started threatening us and abusing us. How can I take money when my child won’t have a father?”
Following this, Sathyapriya alleges that she filed a complaint at the All Women’s Police Station in Thiruparamgundram, but her husband failed to appear the station.
Sathyapriya says Ramaswamy duped the women’s police station when he finally arrived. “He threatened them saying he was a Supreme Court judge. He came with two escorts and he left.” He refused to meet her in Madurai.
When Sathyapriya confronted him about the wedding invitation, she says he first denied it. “Then when I asked to give me a yes or no answer, he sent me an invitation to his wedding. How can my own husband invite me to his wedding? What will I do with my child? I have not divorced him. He did not even tell me. It is not a valid.”
When asked about the mercy killing Sathpriya says, “Let him first come and look at his daughter’s face. Let him first come and see me. If he doesn’t wish to live with us, we will see. But I want my husband. She (Sasikala Pushpa) is also a woman. She will understand what I am going through. Society is mocking us saying it’s because of my daughter’s bad luck that she has not been able to see her father.”
The Collector refused to comment on the issue.