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Giving a new twist to the tragic death of K Suryanarayana, a woman claiming to be his second wife made a dramatic appearance in Hyderabad, demanding a share in the compensation sanctioned for the family.
The young woman, Swapna, along with a baby girl, arrived in the city from Warangal, the native town of engineer Kasula Suryanarayana, who was abducted and killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
She met deputy commissioner of police (crimes) Soumya Mishra, seeking her help to have a last glimpse of the body of her 'late husband'. She alleged that his first wife Manjula denied her entry into the house of Suryanarayana.
Swapna told newsmen that Suryanarayana had married her in August 2002 while working for a private firm in Warangal. She produced photographs of their ' love marriage'. She has a nine-month-old daughter Nitisha from him, she pointed out.
She admitted that she had 'willingly entered into wedlock' with Suryanarayana despite knowing that he was already married with three children. She said her marriage was performed against the wishes of both their families.
"I have no one to fall back upon. I don't have support of my parents or other relatives because it was an inter-caste marriage," she added. "I am not being allowed even to see his body. I only want justice, as he was the sole breadwinner for me."
Describing him as a 'very good person,' she said Suryanaryana often visited her in Warangal, including on his last vacation to India.
"I do not want anything for myself but my daughter must get justice," she said and staked claim to a part of the compensation announced by the Andhra Pradesh government and the Bahrain-based telecom company Al-Moayyad.
Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy had sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs 500,000 and promised a job for slain engineer. The Bahraini company had announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh, besides offering to foot the bill for the education of Suryanarayana's three children.
DCP Soumya Mishra said it was a civil dispute. "We will not be able to do anything. The police have no role in the matter," she said, pointing out that the woman could not produce any documentary evidence in support of her claim. "We have asked her to approach the court if there is any paternity dispute case."