Indian Parents Sue Son And Daughter-In-Law, Demand A Grandchild Or $600K: "They Don't Think About Us"

In a bizarre turn of events, an Indian couple is suing their son and his wife for not providing them with a grandchild. Sadhana and Sanjeev Prasad, who live in Haridwar, a city in northern Uttarakhand state are claiming $643,000 in damages from their son, 35, and his wife, 31, according to CNN. They launched a lawsuit against their only son and daughter-in-law, demanding they have a child in a year or pay over $600,000 in damages. 

The parents said they paid about $47,000 for their son's pilot license, the Associated Press reported. Other expenses include a car and a honeymoon trip following their wedding six years ago. "They raised him, educated him, made him capable, and made him a pilot—which was expensive," said their legal representative, Arvind Srivastava, per CNN. "They see people in their neighborhood playing with their grandchildren and feel like they should also have one." "They said they didn't marry (their son and daughter-in-law) off so that they can live alone," Srivastava continued. "So they said that in the next year, either give us a grandchild or give us compensation." Srivastava mentioned that as the couple ages, "there is no-one to take care of them," and that "all parents wish to be grandparents one day."
 

"The main issue is that at this age we need a grandchild, but these people (my son and daughter-in-law) have an attitude that they don't think about us,'' 61-year-old Sanjeev, a retired government officer, told reporters last week, according to the AP. He added that he and his wife love children. "We got him married in the hope we would have the pleasure of becoming grandparents. It has been six years since their marriage," he said. "It feels as if despite having everything we have nothing." The father claims that he spent a lot of money in raising his child but isn't receiving anything in return. "I have spent my life's earnings on my son's education," Sanjeev told reporters. "We are not getting love and affection from where we want it the most," he added. "I feel very unlucky." Many people on the Internet were surprised by the fact that a set of parents would sue their own child forcing them to give them a child or money in return. One person wrote: this lawsuit seems totally absurd. if the couple wants to have children, it should be their choice, not the in-laws. Another added sarcastically: That'll get the romance going, good job parents.

The son and daughter-in-law could not be reached for comment by either. In India, there is a lot of pressure on people to care for their elderly parents and in-laws. It is often considered an obligation. The country also has a law that protects parents and allows them to claim a monthly allowance from their children if they cannot take care of themselves.