INDIA: High Court orders protection for elderly couple

. HYDERABAD, Andhra Pradesh / Express Buzz / July 26, 2009 Express News Service Acting on a petition by an elderly couple, Peetha Narasimha Raju and his wife, saying their lives were under grave threat from their own three sons, the Andhra Pradesh state High Court has directed the Superintendent of Police, Nalgonda district, to provide protection to them. It called for an investigation into the matter and a report. While passing interim orders on the petition filed by the couple from Nalgonda district, Justice C. V. Nagarjuna Reddy passed interim orders on the petition filed by the couple from Nalgonda district and remarked: "This case depicts the heart-rending story of the aged parents of three sons who, according to the petitioners, conspired to do away their lives. Even if a part of the version of the petitioners, narrated in their affidavit, is found true, it is a a sad reflection of the ill treatment parents are subjected to at the hands of their children.” The petitioners alleged that their youngest son had gone to the extent of trying to have them electrocuted. They also claimed that though they had twice lodged complaints with the police, no action had been taken. The judge then directed the Superintedent of Police to inquire into the the case and submit a report to the court within two weeks. He was also ordered to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of the petitioners and protect the couple from their sons. The petition had declared that the couple had distributed property worth tens of millions to the three sons -- P Srinivas Raju, Venkata Ramana Raju and Venkateshwara Raju - keeping for themselves a rice-mill at Anumula village. The elderly couple were unable to run the mill and when their youngest son suggested that they could lease it out to him and live off the money they agreed to the proposal. The lease on the rice-mill, including an extension, expired in January 2009. During the lease period, this son had been remiss in payments leaving his parents in financial difficulties. The elderly couple asked him to vacate the premises. Instead, he forced them to sign on blank papers, virtually at knife-point. The hapless elders’ plea to the police for action apparently fell on deaf ears. In the meantime, the youngest son concocted documents to the effect that the parents had sold the rice-mill to him and filed a case in the court of the district judge seeking vacation of the premises. The older sons joined hands with youngest and the threesome began terrorising the parents. In fact, the younger son and his wife had not only beaten up the elderly couple a number of times they have even tried to electrocute them by having live wire traps set up -- in the rice mill as well as at their home. In both cases, the elderly couple escaped miraculously. [rc] Copyright © 2008 Express Buzz.