Couple of 19-year ''divorced'' without knowledge

Hisar, Jun 4 (UNI) A couple married for 19 years, has alleged that they were ''divorced'' without their knowledge under a conspiracy by their relatives to grab their property and they chanced upon the disturbing news after a decade during a court visit.

''To grab the family property, elder brother of my husband not only forged the documents of our divorce but also produced a fake couple in the court,'' alleged Meena Verma, a local resident.

The couple, Meena and Virender Verma, came to know of their ''divorce'' after ten years when they had gone to the court in respect of another land dispute recently.

''I am living with my wife Meena since 1989. We have two teenage children, Chetan and Alisha. We have never been separated since our marriage,'' said Virender, an auto driver.

Virender said sometime ago, he was bed-ridden after an accident.

''My wife learnt sewing, embroidery for the subsistence of family. It was then that my brother did all this,'' he alleged. Meena added that her brother-in-law harboured ''bad intentions'' for her as well as their property.

The couple has petitioned the court under Section 340 to lodge a complaint to police under Sections 193, 194, 420, 471, 475 and the next hearing has been fixed for July 19.

Counsel for the couple, Ajay Bansal, said apparently the couple's kin hatched a conspiracy to effect divorce between the couple by filing fake documents and producing fake people.

However, the main accused Surinder Verma told UNI that he was being ''implicated falsely'' and denied that he was behind the fake divorce.

UNI XC JN PD RAI1847