Srikanth wedding: ‘She concealed the truth’

Actor Srikanth along with his advocate Pandian met the media in a hurriedly organised press conference on Friday, where he revealed that he is going to file a case to get a legal separation from his wife Vandana. He said that he wanted to clarify his version of the series of shocking revelations and admitted that he should have spoken out much earlier. “Soon after I announced my intention to get married to Vandana last month, I was told about her family’s criminal activities, including her involvement in the matter through certain journalist friends of mine. When I started investigating the matter, all the truth started coming out about how she has been implicated in the CBI case,” he said.

The official ‘wedding’ was to take place on June 18, but now the actor says he is seeking legal help to come out of the entire episode. He also gave this newspaper copies of documents which he claims are proof of Vandana’s family’s criminal activities (However, Vandana’s name does not figure in any of the documents given as proof).

Then why the secret wedding and subsequent denials? The actor claimed that Vandana’s parents were in a hurry to get her married and rushed him into it saying that a lot of proposals were coming for her and as a sign of his commitment to her, they wanted them to have a registered wedding. “Even though I was hesitant, as I was supposed to start shooting for my next film, I gave in to them,” explained Srikanth. However he accepted that he had made a mistake by hiding his marriage. But he vehemently denied the claims made by Vandana’s mother Shalini, that he and Vandana lived together as husband and wife after their registered wedding. “I did whatever they wanted, but in the end, she hid so many things from me.”

Talking about what led him to become suspicious, the actor says, “When we wanted to print the names of her parents in the invitation card, her father said not to include use their names, but to use their grandparents names instead. But when my parents insisted that it’s only proper that their names be printed, they told us to print S.Pani and Lakshmi instead of Sarangapani and Shalini. That was when my father became upset and confused.”

The whole of Friday, Vandana gave media interviews sitting alone in Srikanth’s house. Where was he the whole time? “On Wednesday night, there were goondas outside my house who pelted stones at the house. Her parents came and left her at my place and went despite my requests to take her back. That’s why we all left the house after giving a complaint at the Vadapalani police station. The next thing I see is that she is giving interviews claiming dowry harassment and other allegations.”

So what does he think is Vandana’s motive? “It is very clear that she wants to spoil my reputation as an artiste, harass and humiliate me and tarnish my image. They are trying to fool people and frame me. No marriage works on force. It should be mutual. I do not think I will come to terms with her background. I am filing a case on Monday asking for a legal separation from her. My parents and I have received death threats from her family and I have already met the commissioner of police and asked for police protection.”