Former Rajasthan minister Vishvendra Singh moves court against wife, son; alleges torture

PTI

Jaipur, May 19

Former Rajasthan minister and member of the erstwhile royal family of Bharatpur Vishvendra Singh has moved court against his wife and son, alleging that they tortured him, did not give him enough food and eventually "expelled" him from his house.

In his application filed in a sub-divisional magistrate's court, Vishvendra also sought maintenance expenses from his wife Divya Singh and son Anirudh Singh. He has filed the application under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

In turn, Divya Singh, a former Bharatpur MP, and her son accused Vishvendra of selling ancestral properties and tarnishing their image.

In his application, 62-year-old Vishvendra said he suffers from heart disease and cannot cope with depression. Despite having contracted Covid-19 twice in 2021 and 2022, his wife and son failed to care for him.

"For the past few years, my wife and son have initiated a revolt against me. They assaulted me, burnt my documents and clothes and subjected me to verbal abuse while also withholding food," Vishvendra alleged in his application.

"I was prohibited from meeting anyone and they subjected me to prolonged torture within the palace. Eventually, they expelled me from the house and I have been living elsewhere for years.

"Since being expelled from the palace, I have been living a nomad's life. Initially, I stayed in my government residence in Jaipur and later, I stayed in hotels. They continue to deny me access to the palace," he said.

The former minister claimed ancestral assets, including numerous antique items, trophies, paintings and furniture, worth crores of rupees are in possession of his wife and son.

Singh has demanded Rs 5 lakh per month as maintenance from his wife and son, and that the ownership of the palace and all assets be transferred to him.

After a media report regarding Vishvendra's application was published on Sunday, his wife and son held a press conference in Bharatpur and refuted all charges.

They accused him of harassing them and tarnishing their image.

"I have been trying to secure our property while he has sold everything. The family dispute escalated when Vishvendra tried to sell the Moti Mahal palace. Anirudh Singh, my son, has been taking care of me," said Divya Singh.

Anirudh said his father had filed the application in court in March and dismissed his allegations as false.

"He is levelling such allegations to defame us. The application was filed by him in March. Our lawyer is representing us at every hearing while he (Vishvendra) is seeking dates every time.

"We are handling the matter in a professional manner while he just wants to mount pressure on the SDM for taking a decision in his favour," he charged.

He dismissed his father's allegations as false and said he should have approached police when he was allegedly attacked.

Anirudh also accused his father of selling their ancestral property. 

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