Sushma tweets...

Sushma tweets, Akhilesh responds, Russian ‘bahu’ gets help

NEW DELHI/AGRA: A day after HT and news agencies reported of a Russian woman protesting outside her Indian mother-in-law’s house in Agra, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday sought Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s intervention who promptly replied after which the Agra administration came to the foreign national’s aid.

Swaraj tagged Akhilesh Yadav in a tweet, asking him to help Olga Efimenkova who had been sitting on a dharna since Saturday, seeking her husband’s share in his family’s property. Soon after Swaraj’s tweet, Agra police reached the house of Olga’s inlaws to solve the issue.

In reply, the chief minister tweeted: “Ms Olga has been united with the family and she will get her portion of the house to live.” In another tweet, he said: “Police has filed FIR under relevant sections against her in-laws. Speedy prosecution will be ensured.”

A case was registered at the New Agra police station on Olga’s complaint against the mother-in-law, Nirmala Chandel along with three others, said AK Singh, the incharge of New Agra police station of Agra.

The CM’s intervention prompted Swaraj to post: “Thank you Akhilesh ji for resolving this. Such incidents affect country’s image.”

When contacted on Sunday afternoon, Olga stated that she was continuing with her dharna and had not eaten anything since Saturday afternoon. “Policemen from New Agra police station reached here today and interacted with us. They have suggested that we can live in the portion rented out to tenants by my mother in law.” However, the tenants were not in a position to move out at such a short notice and were asking for time. “We are still living in the parking space of the property,” she stated. “It is basically a family dispute and we are interacting with family members and hope to resolve the matter soon,” said AK Singh while talking to HT.

Olga and Vikrant Singh Chandel lived in Goa with their young son until recently. They moved back to Agra, Chandel’s hometown, after their business ran into losses. However, the couple, who married in 2011, were not allowed inside the house as Vikrant’s mother, Nirmala Chandel, had gifted the property to her daughter who runs a school there. Agitated over the circumstances, Olga settled herself at the doorstep of her in-laws in Indrapuri, demanding Vikrant’s share, supported by him.

The Russian ‘bahu’ said she had informed the New Agra police and the Russian Embassy of her predicament. However, the Agra police initially refused to file a complaint as the matter was a family dispute over property. Nirmala has maintained that she gave Vikrant money and gifted the house to her daughter, who is estranged from her husband.

“My daughter runs a school on the premises. I have already given `11 lakh to Vikrant. Now I have nothing left to give to him,” she said, adding that her son and daughterin-law have not cared about her.