The Kalyani family dispute about their mother’s samadhi is back in court. Sugandha Hiremath, the sister of Baba Kalyani, informed the Pune Civil Court at the hearing held on Thursday that she travelled to Kashi to pay her respects at her mother Sulochana Kalyani’s Samadhi, only to discover that no such memorial existed, which left her feeling deceived.
Hiremath requested a location to construct a memorial for her mother next to her father’s memorial in Pune. During the February 20 meeting in Pune, organised at the judge’s suggestion, Baba Kalyani informed Hiremath that their mother’s memorial had already been established in Kashi.
Hiremath said that when she visited the site in Kashi, she found a Rs 350 shivling among over a lakh of other shivlings, which she felt did not constitute a proper memorial. She asserted that it was her mother’s wish to be buried next to her husband, Neelkanth Kalyani, and accused her brother Baba of denying their mother this wish.
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Baba Kalyani stated that the last rites for Sulochana Kalyani were performed two years ago, in accordance with the Lingayat tradition, in the presence of Hiremath and other family members. Kalyani said he arranged for the establishment of a ling at Kashi in memory of his late mother and father at the Jangamwadi Muth. He also offered homage to his parents at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. He accused Hiremath of initiating frivolous legal proceedings after a two-year slumber in an attempt to settle personal scores and tarnish their mother’s memory. Kalyani argued that the lawsuit is baseless and legally unsustainable. He noted that Hiremath is claiming access to a property where she has no rights, to build a samadhi for her deceased mother. He asserted that the suit is fundamentally flawed, as it seeks to enforce alleged religious rituals that are not actionable in a civil court.
Kalyani’s counsel conveyed to the court their intention to resolve the issue amicably but suggested that Sugandha does not seem inclined towards such a resolution. They stated that they would address the allegations made by Sugandha Hiremath in court and submit a formal response. The case is scheduled to be heard again in April after Kalyani files his rejoinder.
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