Pandanna told his two wives that he liked a woman named Lavya alias Laxmi. (News18)
Sageni Pandanna, a resident of Gullelu village in Alluri Sitarama Raju District of Andhra Pradesh married his first wife Parvathamma in 2000, he tied the knot once again in 2007 and married Appalamma with the acceptance of Parvathamma
The story of Andhra Pradesh’s Sageni Pandanna and his three wives is both unconventional and intriguing.
When Pandanna decided to marry for the third time a woman of his choice, his other wives not only supported the decision but facilitated the match.
Sageni Pandanna, a resident of Gullelu village in Alluri Sitarama Raju District of Andhra Pradesh married his first wife Parvathamma in 2000, he tied the knot once again in 2007 and married Appalamma with the acceptance of Parvathamma as they did not have children.
However, what makes their story extraordinary is that when Pandanna expressed his desire for another child, his other wives agreed to marry him off to a third woman.
Pandanna expressed his preference to marry Lavya, also known as Laxmi, who was from Bandhaveedhi in Killamkota village.
Parvathamma and Appalamma not only agreed but personally went to Lavya’s house and finalised the match for their husband.
The ceremony was a grand affair that took place on June 25, 2024, in the presence of both sides of the family. After their marriage became a topic of interest in Telugu states, the family relocated to an unknown place away from the public eye
According to locals, Pandanna, belonging to the Kodadora caste under the Scheduled Tribes (ST), works as a daily labourer and also owns agricultural land. His wives also support him in his work.
The legal aspects of his marriages have also been discussed, with one advocate stating that unless his first wife complains, the marriages would not be illegal under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1954, while another advocate suggested that their marriage is legal under the Special Marriage Act of 1955 due to their Scheduled Tribes status.
“According to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1954, Pandanna’s marriages will not be illegal unless his first wife complains about the other two. Here, there is no objection from the first and second wives, everything goes well. It is just their internal understanding,” a senior Advocate Venkateswar Rao told News18.
Another Vizag-based advocate, Abdus Saleem, the Scheduled Tribes cannot be claimed as Hindus. Hence, they come under the Special Marriage Act, of 1955. Therefore, their marriage is legal.