Even before the controversy over prominent Bollywood personality Yash Chopra's claim that Mangal Pandey was not a freedom fighter could die down, another dispute has arisen. Two persons filed petitions, claiming to be Mangal Pandey's 'true descendants'.
The duo, including the vice-principal of Central School, New Delhi, Raghunath Pandey, have filed petitions in separate courts. He comes from Nagva, Ballia.
While Pandey has filed the case in the Delhi High Court, one Santosh Pandey has filed another case in the court of civil judge in Ballia.
Both had also filed writs earlier against the screening of Ketan Mehta's Mangal Pandey - The rising.
Interestingly, the people of Faizabad also claim that Mangal Pandey was a native of a village in that district. The official records, however, say that Pandey belonged to Nagva in Ballia.
People of Ballia have been up in arms against the film, alleging it had belittled the character of Pandey, who refused to bite bullets greased with cow and pig fat while serving in the East India Company, giving rise to the First Battle for Independence.
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