The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : High drama again near slain engineer's house

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

High drama again near slain engineer's house

Special Correspondent

Swapna, who claims to be Suryanarayana's second wife, launches hunger strike

BACK IN FOCUS: Swapna, with her daughter Nitisha, stages dharna near Anandbagh in Malkajgiri on Monday. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: Hurt at not being accepted as a family member of slain engineer Kasula Suryanarayana, Swapna who claimed to be his second wife, launched an indefinite hunger strike in front of his house at East Anandbagh here on Monday.

Lending her support and sitting with her in the dharna were some 100 members of various self-help groups from her village Seethanagaram in Hasanparthi mandal of Warangal district and neighbouring Byrampalle and Vangapadu villages.

Ready for DNA test

Pitching up tents by the roadside and banners demanding justice to Swapna and her child, Nishitha, the women sat silently unmindful of the blistering sun. "I will be here till they accept me as their family member; till they recognise me as Suryanarayana's wife," Swapna said. She reiterated her resolve to carry out a DNA test on her nine-month-old baby to prove that Suryanarayana was indeed her father.

Her mother Sarojini and brother G. Ravinder were beside her even as little Nishitha toddled around.

"We are here to get justice for our village woman. How can Suryanarayana's family members deny her due status and even refuse to recognise her?" asked Sharada, group leader of Spandana mahila self-help group from Seethanagaram.

Manjula recovering

"When they could accept pulses, rice and vegetables from our village, why not her?" she sought to know, saying Suryanarayana used to procure them from the village and bring them to Hyderabad as they were cheaper.

The Suryanarayana household shut itself from the drama unfolding outside and refused to come out. His wife Manjula is said to be recovering at the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail