Defying court order, MP Sasikala Pushpa ties the knot

Expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa and her lawyer-friend Dr B Ramasamy tied the knot at a simple wedding ceremony held at a five-star hotel in New Delhi on Monday, defying a court ban.

The Family Court in Madurai had on Friday restrained Ramasamy, pro-Vice Chancellor of Oriental Institute of Science and Technology University and "advisor" to MPs, from marrying anyone since his previous marriage was "still valid."

The court order came on a petition filed by T Sathyapriya who had approached the court seeking conjugal rights and maintenance. The Family Court Judge N Venkadavaradhan had counselled Ramasamy to marry anyone, if he wishes so, after formally divorcing Sathyapriya.

In a dramatic turn of events after the wedding invitation of Sasikala Pushpa and Ramasamy went viral on the social media last week, Sathyapriya had petitioned the Madurai District Collector alleging that her marriage with Ramasamy was still valid and asked him to ensure that the marriage does not take place.

The woman claims that she got married to Ramasamy in 2014 and they moved to New Delhi, where he claimed to have worked as a judge. When she questioned her about his job profile after the marriage, Ramasamy would physically assault her, the woman has alleged. She has also claimed that she came to Madurai in 2016 for the delivery of her baby.

However, despite the court order, Sasikala Pushpa and Ramasamy tied the knot as planned. Photos of the ceremony have gone viral on the social media. Efforts to reach the couple failed.

Sasikala Pushpa, who dramatically claimed that "a leader" slapped her in the palatial Poes Garden residence of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa in August 2016, has been in the news for all wrong reasons. Though a political novice in 2010 when she was appointed to a key party post, her growth in the AIADMK was meteoric as she landed in plum posts like Tuticorin Mayor (2011) and Rajya Sabha MP (2014).

However, the fall was also quicker with Jayalalithaa removing her from party posts after an alleged audio in which she was criticising the flood relief work of the government was leaked. Things went from bad to worse for Sasikala Pushpa when she slapped fellow Parliamentarian Tiruchi Siva from DMK for "abusing Jayalalithaa." None subscribed to her view since photos of them both in close proximity were shared widely in social media and Jayalalithaa sacked her from the AIADMK.

And when Jayalalithaa was in the hospital, Sasikala Pushpa was back to what she is best at - stoking controversies. She alleged that Jayalalithaa was poisoned by V K Sasikala and her family and had even attempted to contest the latter's appointment as interim general secretary of the AIADMK after the former's death.