Lalu Prasad’s son Tej Pratap files for divorce from wife Aishwarya Rai

Tej Pratap Yadav, son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, yesterday filed a petition seeking divorce from his wife of six months, Aishwarya Rai, leaving his family and party workers stunned.

Tej Pratap’s lawyer cited ‘incompatibility’ as the reason for the divorce. “I cannot give much details. I was only told by my client that he and his wife were not compatible and hence he wanted divorce,” lawyer Yashwant Kumar Sharma said.

The separation has been sought invoking Section 13 A of the Hindu Marriage Act under which either spouse can unilaterally seek divorce, said lawyer Yashwant Kumar Sharma, who filed the petition on behalf of Tej Pratap at a civil court in Patna.

The divorce petition has been listed for hearing on November 29. Family members claimed ignorance. “I am totally ignorant about the petition. I am shocked and surprised,” said his eldest sister, Misa Bharti, a Rajya Sabha MP.

RJD chief’s close aide and MLA Bhola Yadav was also not aware about the reasons that prompted Yadav to go for



separation. “It is really surprising,” he said.

Tej Pratap, a sitting RJD MLA and a former Bihar minister, had tied the knot with Aishwarya Rai on May 12. The grand wedding ceremony for which Prasad, serving sentences in fodder scam cases, had flown in from Ranchi after obtaining parole from a court, was attended by political leaders from virtually all political parties including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

Journalists and cameramen made a beeline outside the 10, Circular Road residence of Rabri Devi where Aishwarya Rai along with her father Chandrika Rai visited in the evening while refusing to take questions.

There were reports that soon after filing the petition, Tej Pratap left for Ranchi to see his ailing father but was forced to return following pressure from family. “The divorce sought by Tej Pratap is a big blow to the RJD family, which is already battling legal cases in various scams. Nothing seems to be going right for them,” said a close aide of the RJD chief.