MADIKERI: Amidst the mourning for a landslide victim, fighting erupted between his family members over who should receive the compensation amount, in Kodagu district. The dead body of Appu (55) was retrieved on Wednesday from Thora landslide area by the NDRF personnel, army and police team.
Appu was married to Savithri, but he is said to have left her 18 years ago to marry another woman called Leelavathi. She is also feared dead, as she is still listed as missing after the landslide that took place last week at Thora village.
Complications began between Appu’s first wife Savithri and Leelavathi’s family over claiming the relief fund. Savithri has a son and three daughters from her marriage to Appu, while Leelavathi does not have children with Appu. Following the disaster, Mohan, the son of Savithri and Appu, had filed a complaint with the Virajpet rural police about his father missing from the village.
When Appu’s body was retrieved on Wednesday, Savithri and Leelavathi’s family members fought at the Virajpet tahsildar office to collect the compensation amount of Rs 5 lakh. While Savithri’s son is said to have
submitted documents to the tahsildar to prove that Appu was his father, Leelavathi’s sisters protested and said that Leelavathi’s family was the rightful beneficiary of the compensation.
Nevertheless, the compensation has now been withheld for the time being. Tahsildar Purandar said: “The matter will be investigated and the Rs 5 lakh compensation will be distributed later. A sum of Rs 5,000 for the cremation of Appu’s body has been handed over to his first wife Savithri.”