Laxmi: Ethical push

Mumbai, March 3: A crown for a flat. Laxmi Pandit today returned her Miss India-World title — all for a small one-room-kitchen apartment that she shared with a male friend.

In an affidavit to the court, she said she was not married, but would give up the crown on moral grounds. She admitted that she had made a false statement to the housing society and to police, saying she was married, in order to get the accommodation.

“I say I am unmarried till date,” says the affidavit. “I say that I have never been through any ceremony either valid or invalid, either civil, religious or tribal, which is recognised as a marriage ceremony in any part of the world and I say that I am legally entitled to use the prefix ‘Miss’ (or equivalent) before my name.”

She said she had mentioned herself as “Mrs Lakshmi Siddharth Pandit” in the leave and licence agreement between the landlady Suhasini Kanke, “one Mr Siddharth Mishra and myself”.

She had represented herself “to be a married lady as it was only the basis” on which she could get the flat on rent. Laxmi and Mishra, both aspiring models, used to live at Liberty Garden in Malad West and pay a rent of Rs 4,000 per month.

The affidavit says Laxmi decided to return the crown because “such incorrect representation made by me for the purpose of obtaining the said accommodation has resulted in putting me in a situation affecting my credibility and tarnishing my image”.

Laxmi added that if she stayed on, it would affect the image of Miss India and also of India at international pageants, for if she held her title she would be representing the country at Miss World.

Laxmi did not meet reporters. Times Media Infotainment, the organiser of Miss India, said she was still suffering from “the trauma” caused by the controversy. The organiser added that it was satisfied with her affidavit that she was single and accepted her decision to step down as a voluntary one.

A controversy broke on Sunday evening when a television channel reported that Laxmi, first runner-up in the Miss India contest, was married, according to her neighbours and documents submitted to the society and the police. Laxmi would face disqualification if she was found to be married.

Times Infotainment managing director A.P. Parigi said a new winner would be crowned in place of Laxmi and the result of the “re-ordering” would be announced in five to six days. He said the organisation had focused only on whether Laxmi was married or not, was satisfied that she was single, and did not look into the other charges against Laxmi.

Laxmi has also been accused of giving a false date of birth and being overage. A television channel has charged her with being 25 — the rules say the contestants should be between 18 and 24 — while she stated at Miss India that she was 22.

Neighbours added that Laxmi and Siddharth told them they were a married couple and were doctors.

Laxmi’s friend and co-inhabitant of the flat Siddharth, who applied for this year’s Gladrags Manhunt contest using the same address as Laxmi’s, faces disqualification from the pageant if the organisers conclude that he is married.