Kerala woman claims to be daughter of Anuradha Paudwal

A 46-year-old woman has filed a petition in a court here, claiming that she was the daughter of popular playback singer Anuradha Paudwal and sought a Rs 50 crore compensation from her biological parents for allegedly denying her the childhood and life she was entitled to. Karmala Modex, a city resident, told reporters here that Paudwal had handed her over to her foster parents-- Ponnachan and Agnes -- in 1974 as the singer had a busy schedule and did not want to raise a child at the time. Paudwal, a recipient of the Padma Shri and the National Film Award, was married to music composer Arun Paudwal.

"Ponnachan, who passed away a few years ago had revealed in his death bed to Modex that she is the biological daughter of Arun-Anuradha couple," Modex's lawyer told media here. He also said that Modex had tried to get in touch with the singer before filing the case but never got any response.

The district family court here has asked Paudwal and her two children to appear in person on January 27 when the case comes up for hearing. She has sought to declare her as the legitimate daughter of Paudwal and is also entitled to one-fourth share of the assets and properties, her lawyer said adding that Modex has also sought a compensation of Rs 50 crore for the loss caused to her. Modex said she attended school only up to class 10 as her foster parents faced difficulty in raising her as their fourth child. Repeated attempts to reach the singer for a response didn't materialise