The Hindu : New Delhi News : No ill-will against couple: Chiranjeevi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007
ePaper

New Delhi

New Delhi

No ill-will against couple: Chiranjeevi

Staff Reporter

Gives assurance through letter to counsel Pinky Anand

“Apprehensions raised in interviews are baseless”
Police protection extended to couple for two more weeks

NEW DELHI: Telugu film superstar Chiranjeevi has assured his daughter Srija and son-in-law Shirish Bhardwaj that “he and other members of his family do not bear any ill-will against them.”

Mr. Chiranjeevi gave this assurance to the couple through a letter addressed to Pinky Anand, counsel for them. Ms. Anand filed a copy of the letter in the Court of Justice S.N. Dhingra hearing the petition by the couple seeking protection against “their perceived threat to their lives.”

“I was watching various interviews on national television channels on October 22. I was deeply pained by the accusations made in these interviews even after I had publicly accepted the decision of my daughter and blessed her,” Mr. Chiranjeevi said in the letter written on October 23.

“The apprehensions raised in the interviews are baseless. I can assure you that my fans would not hurt anybody, much less the young couple,” the superstar said.

Deep anguish

“I am addressing this letter to assure your clients that I have accepted the decision of my daughter and respect it. My entire family is with me on this issue,” he said.

He also expressed his deep anguish over a wholly private affair being made public saying that “what should have been resolved as a private family affair has become a public spectacle embarrassing the family and the couple.”

“Even after all this, if the young couple feels the need to obtain any safeguards, they are free to do the same. I have nothing further to say on any of these issues anymore,” the letter concludes.

Protection extended

However, Mr. Justice Dhingra extended police protection to the couple for two more weeks when their counsel informed the court that the family of Shirish Bhardwaj had moved the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking protection for the couple.

The Delhi High Court last week ordered police protection to the couple when they had appeared in person before the court seeking the relief on the ground of threat to their lives after the bride’s decision to marry against the wishes of her family. They had submitted that they had to change several vehicles during their journey to the capital due to their fear that they might be kidnapped.

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