South tycoon disowns adopted son
■ Ramswamy bars his adopted son, Muthiah, from inheriting properties, bequeaths them to two charities
“On my death, my son should not light my funeral pyre,” declared M. A. M. Ramaswamy, the world’s biggest racehorse owner, philanthropist, industrialist and educationist. Formally disowning M. A. M. R. Muthiah, formerly known as Ayyappan before he was adopted by Ramswamy and his wife Sigappi Achi in 1996, Mr Ramaswamy said on Tuesday that whatever little property and shares he still owns are being bequeathed to two charities — the Dr M. A. M. Ramaswamy Chettiar of Chettinad Charitable Trust and the Dr M. A. M. Ramaswamy Chettiar Trust.
Declaring total war on Ayyappan, Mr Ramaswamy recounted how he and his late wife, Sigappi, had been cheated of all their properties and trusteeships, including control of the Chettinad Cement Corporation, the manufacturing company started by his father and the Chettinad Health City, which Mr Ramaswamy himself founded by selling land around the Chettinad Palace and depositing all the proceeds in the Rajah Muthiah Education and Charitable Trust.
Sitting on a chair the Duke of Edinburgh had sat on when he was an honoured guest at a grand banquet for 150 people at the Chettinad Palace on the bank of the Adyar river, Mr Ramaswamy recounted the horror tale of how he had been cheated by his “son”, whom he had adopted without following the mandatory customs of the Nattukottai Nagarathar community and much against the wishes of his relatives.
The pitiable tale of the scion of the Chettinad “Rajahs” — who once had 1,00,000 acres of fertile land in erstwhile Burma, a Chettinad bank with 100 branches and properties all over Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka — was told in lurid detail and in public glare. Today, even Mr Ramaswamy’s medicines don’t come from the Chettinad Health City, which he founded. He buys them himself from a local pharmacy. The retinue of servants at the palace is also being maintained by him from his personal wealth.
India’s turf baron told this correspondent in a personal conversation before the press conference how he had been rendered ineligible even to use guest houses belonging to the company in Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Mumbai and New Delhi.
“I stay in hotels,” Mr Ramaswamy said, drawing attention to the devious lengths his former son has gone to in denying him even the minimum courtesies. Listing all the luxury cars ( 2 Rolls Royces, two Benz, 2 Audi, etc.) owned now by his former adopted son, Mr Ramaswamy said even his cars had not been spared and had been taken away by the cement company.
Answering a volley of questions patiently for one- and- a- half hours, Mr Ramaswamy recounted all the cruelty inflicted on him at the age of 83 by his former adopted son who has foisted cases on him and set hoodlums upon his servants in the Chettinad Palace.
“He has already deprived me a of substantial part of my assets and taken control of various companies/ trusts/ societies by deceitful methods, and not stopping with that he has compelled me to face litigation all over the place, leav- ing no peace of mind to me at this age. Hence, there is no question of any rapprochement,” Mr Ramaswamy declared in a formal statement as well, which was released to the media.
While listing a litany of the misdeeds of Ayyappan, Mr Ramaswamy also referred to a deposit of ` 55 crores he had made in Chettinad Cements for which he has received neither interest nor the principal. “There is no response to the letters written on the topic,” he said. He is emphatic that “he shall not perform any ceremonies or obsequies on my demise”.
Describing his grandchildren as angels, Mr Ramaswamy said that Ayyappan had stopped sending them to see their grandfather. Asked about whether he would will any property to them, Mr Ramaswamy said it should be Ayyappan’s concern what properties should go to them “since they are all mine and that of my ancestors”.