PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son

and his wife

would physically appear before a family court for next hearing on January 31.

“If the reconciliation attempt between the two fails, further hearing on the divorce petition will continue,” Tej’s counsel Yashwant Kumar Sharma said.

Tej had filed a divorce petition against his wife Aishwarya on November 1 last year on the ground of mental cruelty. They had got married on May 12 last year.

Aishwarya is the daughter of RJD MLA Chandrika Rai and granddaughter of former CM

. While Tej is a high school graduate, Aishwarya is an MBA degree holder.

Sharma said Aishwarya was scheduled to appear before the family court on Tuesday. Her counsel appeared and gave representation before the incharge additional family court as principal family court judge Uma Shankar Dwivedi was transferred and none had taken charge till Tuesday evening.

Tej has repeatedly told the media that he would not withdraw his divorce petition.

The last in-camera hearing on Tej’s petition took place on November 29 last year when his counsel had filed a Condon petition seeking exemption from one-year time period since marriage, as is required under the Hindu Marriage Act to move a divorce petition. The court had accepted the petition and January 8 had been fixed as the next date of hearing.