Parents Sanjeev and Sadhana Prasad are suing their son and his wife for $650,000 for not giving them a grandchild yet. The Indian couple are claiming "mental cruelty" because they have no grandchildren. The parents of Shrey Prasad and parents-in-law of Shubhangi Sinha feel their son and his wife owe them.
Sanjeev and Sadhana have given the younger couple a one-year deadline to give them a grandchild. If the couple does not produce a baby, the would-be grandparents want a hefty payment of $650,000. On top of that, they’ve issued a stern ultimatum: Give them a grandbaby or give them the money.
The would-be grandparents believe their son "owes" them at least one grandchild.
Sanjeev and Sadhana decided to take legal action against their own son and his wife as a tactic to “encourage” them to reconsider having children. They feel like the younger couple is callously inflicting “mental cruelty” on them by denying them their right to be grandparents.
The older couple, who live in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, told the Times of India that the sum reflects some of what they’ve spent raising their only child, Shrey, who is 35. This includes a $65,000 bill for his 2006 pilot training in the US and a luxury car they gifted to him for his wedding.
Sanjeev told the Times of India: “I have only one son. I spent all my savings on his upbringing and education. He returned to India in 2007 due to the economic recession abroad. He had lost his job and could not find another for over two years. I supported him financially during this period as well."
His parents raised him, loved him, and found him a wife. They believe the least he can do is give them a baby.
Sanjeev and his wife even arranged the marriage between their son and Shubhangi after Shrey found a job. His parents contend that Shrey and Shubghani have been married for six years and it is cruel to not make them grandparents.
Sanjeev bemoans the fact that the young couple live in a different state because of work and that their daughter-in-law doesn't stay with them. He feels that this adds to their suffering.
The parents' lawyer believes they have a right to see a return on their investment.
AK Srivastava, Sanjeev and Sadhana's lawyer, told ANI News that the case "portrays the truth of society."
"We invest in our children, make them capable of working in good firms. Children owe their parents basic financial care," the lawyer said. In addition, he noted that Shrey’s parents are demanding either a grandchild within a year or financial compensation. For Sanjeev and Sadhana, denying them a grandchild is a punishment because this is something they’ve been dreaming of for years. Their court date is set for May 17.
