A fight involving Indian culture, money and broken promises has landed in Orlando federal court.
Sailaja Dacha is suing her former in-laws after she accused them of stealing her money after her husband’s death. In 2011, Sailaja Dacha married their son, Raghuram, in India. Seven years later, Raghuram died. The lawsuit doesn’t say how.
Living in Maryland, the widow inherited $2 million, as well as $160,000 from Raghuram’s life insurance.
She received the money in 2020 just as she was ready to move on, and Raghuram’s parents offered to help her.
“In the Indian culture, arranged marriages are common. In 2020, the search was on for Plaintiff’s new husband,” said her lawsuit filed last month.
“Usharani Dacha and Harinathrao R. Dacha sat down with the Plaintiff for the purpose of providing her financial and family advice. Given their extremely close relationship with the Plaintiff, Harinathrao R. Dacha took it upon himself to advise the Plaintiff as follows: ‘We do not know what kind of husband you will get, in case if you guys divorced, money will be 50-50. So, to protect the money, we will give you two options: The first option is writing prenup agreement. The second option is transferring the money back to us. Once we make sure that you get good husband and settle happily with the kids, after five years of your marriage, we will transfer the money back to you.’”
Sailaja Dacha said she didn’t want to make a prenup with a new husband, so she trusted her ex-in-laws and gave $1.959 million to them, expecting them to return it.
The lawsuit described Sailaja Dacha’s emotional vulnerability after losing her first husband.
“Plaintiff depended on the Defendants to advise, counsel, and protect her. The Plaintiff was fragile and weak after her husband passed away, and uneducated about finances or divorce,” the lawsuit said.
In 2021, she remarried, the lawsuit said.
On her five-year wedding anniversary with her new husband, she contacted her former in-laws living in Orange County for the money but they ignored her request, she said.
The lawsuit said her former father-in-law told her they spent all the money.
“Injustice can be avoided only by enforcement of the promise,” Sailaja Dacha said in her lawsuit.
Her lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
Her ex-in-laws could not be reached for comment and do not have an attorney listed in the court case.