The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Manikumari battles for legal heir status

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 04, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Manikumari battles for legal heir status

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, JULY 3. The District Legal Services Authority here is considering a claim being made by the former Minister for Tribal Welfare, Matyarasa Manikumari, and another woman, Simhachalam, as the legally wedded wife of Venkataraju, a Telugu Desam leader who was shot dead by naxalites on March 18 at Paderu.

Ms. Manikumari filed her counter on Saturday and the Legal Services Authority, consisting of the Principal District Judge, N. Vidya Prasad, the ninth Additional District Judge, K.V.B.G.S. Pardhasaradhy, and its Secretary, B. Rama Rao, adjourned the case to July 17 to hear both parties.

Both Ms. Manikumari and Ms. Simhachalam were present during proceedings on Saturday.

After naxalites killed Venkataraju, Ms. Manikumari applied to the District Collector on April 15 that the compensation (the Government is giving to the families of the victims of naxalites violence), be paid to her. Later, on June 22, Ms. Simhachalam, working as an ANM at G. Madugula, also sent her application to the Collector for the compensation saying that she was the legally wedded wife of Venkataraju and also complained that the MRO concerned had issued the legal heir certificate to Ms. Manikumari instead of to her.

On May 7, the Superintendent of Police, in his findings, suggested that the compensation be paid to Ms. Manikumari.

Ms. Simhachalam's contention was that she had married Venkataraju at Annavaram temple in 1992 and both had two sons -- Keertinidhi and Ishwaryanidhi (7) -- who were studying at the Apollo Convent, Tuni. She produced 18 photographs showing Venkataraju with her and the two children, and also the marriage certificate issued by the Annavaram Devasthanam and the records of her sons' school which showed Venkataraju as their father. The Collector transferred the case to the Legal Services Authority.

Ms. Manikumari, in her counter filed on Saturday, refuted the claim of Ms. Simhachalam as the legally wedded wife of Venkataraju. The former Minister said that her marriage with Venkataraju was performed on July 3, 1988, and under Section 16 of the Hindu Marriage Act, Ms. Simhachalam had no right to claim herself as the legally wedded wife of Venkataraju. Incidentally Saturday was her marriage anniversary.

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