Patna: The divorce case of Tej Pratap Yadav and Aishwarya Rai is set for hearing today in Patna’s civil court. The matter had been adjourned 13 days ago. The elder son of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi, Tej Pratap married Aishwarya, daughter of Chandrika Rai and granddaughter of former Chief Minister Daroga Rai, on May 12, 2018.
The political and personal tensions escalated after Tej Pratap publicly admitted to his relationship with Anushka Yadav. On June 30, 35 days after their photo and video went viral, he visited Anushka’s home and stayed for around seven hours. Speaking to journalists later, he said, “I have a family relationship with her. Everyone loves. If I loved, I did it. I have not done anything wrong.”
High Court senior lawyer Sarvdev Singh stated that marrying without divorce is illegal under the Hindu Marriage Act and extra-marital relationships while a case is sub judice could lead to legal consequences. Aishwarya has also questioned why Tej Pratap married her if he was in a longstanding relationship with Anushka. In 2019, she had alleged domestic violence by Rabri Devi and her security staff.
Tej Pratap’s visit to Anushka’s home this week is seen as a direct challenge to his family. Anushka’s brother, Akash, has sought justice from Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav, while political observers believe Tej Pratap’s public declaration of love may complicate his ongoing divorce proceedings further.
