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Industrialist M.A.M. Ramaswamy disowns adopted son
Chennai, June 9
Industrialist and former Rajya Sabha member M.A.M. Ramaswamy, 84, on Tuesday disowned his adopted son M.A.M.R. Muthiah.
Ramaswamy also declared that Muthiah should not perform any ceremonies or obsequies on his demise.
Ramaswamy
said the adoption has been nullified as per the practice of the
Chettiar community and steps are being taken to void the adoption on the
legal side as well.
"I have disowned him and do not wish to call
him my son. Whatever the law may be, he is no more my son. According to
me he can be only S. Ayyappan (original name) and not M.A.M.R.
Muthiah," Ramaswamy told the media here at his residence.
Ramaswamy said Ayyappan has not performed the annual rituals for his late wife Sigappi Achi which had affected him emotionally.
According
to Ramaswamy, though a substantial part of his properties is with
Ayyappan, whatever is remaining should go to two charitable trusts - Dr.
M.A.M. Ramaswamy Chettiar of Chettinad Charitable Trust and Dr.M.A.M.
Ramaswamy Chettiar Trust- in which Ayyappan will have no part to play or
have a say.
"I have also written and registered a will that all
the assets which may be left at the time of my death would go only to
the said trusts and not to Ayyappan or M.A.M.R. Muthiah or any one
claiming on his behalf or under him," Ramaswamy said.
An
emotionally disturbed Ramaswamy against whom several cases have been
filed by his adopted son said Ayyappan should not perform any ceremonies
or obsequies on his demise.
The Ramaswamys did not have any
biological children and hence adopted Ayyappan, natural son of R.M.
Sekkappa Chettiar, in 1995 when he was around 26 years old and named him
as M.A.M.R. Muthiah.
According to Ramaswamy and his
industrialist cousin A.C. Muthiah of the SPIC group, the adoption of
Ayyappan did not follow the tradition of the Nagaratha community.
"In
our community adoption is valid only when the adopted boy belongs to
the same temple to which the person who adopts belong. In this case
Ayyappan belongs to a different temple," Muthiah said.
"My father
(M.A. Muthiah Chettiar) has stated in his will that his entire wealth
should go only to a grandson adopted according to the traditions of the
Nattukottai Nagarathar Community (Chettiar community) and not
otherwise," Ramaswamy said.
He said the adoption was done without following the mandatory customs of the Nattukottai Nagarathar community.
Ramaswamy
alleged that Ayyappan transferred a substantial part of his and his
wife's properties and powers in business to himself.
"He also
forced me to make him the managing director of the Chettinad Cement
Corporation and also pressurised me to induct him and his wife Geetha
Ayyappan and also the employees nominated by him in the various trusts
and societies," Ramaswamy said.
The problems between Ramaswamy
and his adopted son had been there for some time and aggravated after
the demise of the former's wife.
According to Ramaswamy, his adopted son's miserly attitude did not gel with his philanthropic one.
"I
am maintaining this home from my own resources. Around 60 people work
here and Ayyappan wanted the staff to be pruned. Many of these people
are hereditary workers and they have families to support," Ramaswamy
said.
He said his grandchildren are sweet and loved him very much. But it has been a long time since they saw him.
Ramaswamy was ousted as the chairman of Chettinad Cements and other group companies.
The group has interests in cement, logistics, education among other things.
"I am left with this residence and some properties," Ramaswamy said.
On
the other hand Ayyappan/Muthiah in a recent statement said since 1995
certain vested interests were inimical to his adoption as the fourth
generation descendant of the Chettinad family and they never wanted the
father-son relationship to take root and blossom and had always come in
the way of the father-son relationship.
"Consequently, my father
M.A.M. Ramaswamy's affection towards me and my family was constrained.
In fact, even the grandchildren were not allowed to get close to my
father and it almost gave an impression that my father was closer to his
attendants than his grandchildren," he said.
According to
Ramaswamy, all Ayyappan had to do was to wait for a couple of years to
inherit all his properties after his demise, but it is not known why he
is in a hurry.
The aged industrialist with a passion for horse
racing categorically said that there is no space for a compromise with
his adopted son.