Hearing on Tej Pratap's divorce plea deferred till January 8

Tej Pratap had filed the divorce application in the Patna court on November 3 last within six months of his marriage with Aishwarya Rai.
Tej Pratap Yadav (File Photo | PTI)
Tej Pratap Yadav (File Photo | PTI)

PATNA: Hearing on the divorce petition of RJD president Lalu Prasad's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav was on Thursday deferred till January 8 by a court here which held in-camera proceedings following a plea by the leader.

Later, as Yadav left the court, he told reporters that the "fight will continue".

Judge Uma Shankar Dwivedi heard the case in-camera following a request by Yadav's team of lawyers led by Delhi-based advocate Amit Khemka.

According to sources, the matter has been posted for January 8.

Yadav, away from the city ever since he filed the petition in October end, arrived at the court minutes ahead of the commencement of hearing.

He told reporters that although he had reached Patna on Wednesday itself, he has so far neither visited his home nor met any of his family members.

Earlier, responding to queries of journalists, Khemka said, "I can divulge no details. The matter is not political but involves the lives of two young persons." Asked whether he would try to bring them together, the counsel said, "I will try to do whatever is best possible for them."

Tej Pratap had filed the divorce application in the Patna court on November 3 last within six months of his marriage with Aishwarya Rai. He had filed for divorce under Section 13 (1) (1a) of the Hindu Marriage Act.

Incompatibality was cited as the reason for seeking divorce. The court had then fixed the matter for this November 29.

Aishwarya, eldest daughter of former minister Chandrika Rai and granddaughter of another former CM Daroga Prasad Rai, and Tej Pratap had tied nuptial knot on May 12 this year in Patna.

Meanwhile, legal experts said that in normal course divorce petitions filed before completion of one year of marriage are turned down and in this case also the maintainability of the petition would have to be decided.

The developments had plunged Prasad's as well Rai's families in gloom.

Efforts were on to effect a patch-up between the two.

Father Lalu Prasad, serving jail term in fodder scam cases, had even called his son to Ranchi to counsel him but on return from the Jharkhand capital, Tej Pratap had dramatically left a hotel in Gaya.

He made an appearance on Thursday when the petition was taken up.

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