Explaining a Civil Summons to a Telugu-Speaking Mother
You are a process server attached to the Junior Civil Judge's Court at Khammam. A summons in O.S. No. 87 of 2024 is to be served on K. Venkateswarlu, a daily-wage worker. You go to his house in a village near Khammam. His mother, aged about 65, is alone. She speaks only Telugu and has never been to a court. She sees the court seal on the envelope, starts crying, and says her son has done nothing wrong. She offers you Rs. 500 to 'settle the matter' and asks you not to take him to jail. The son is actually away in Hyderabad; she has his mobile number but is afraid to give it. You must explain the nature of the document, obtain the correct information, record her response, and complete service lawfully.
1. Write the Telugu sentences you would use to introduce yourself, reassure her, explain that this is a civil summons and not a criminal arrest, and ask for her son's address or phone number. Include a brief English gloss and explain your choice of respectful forms.
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Telugu: 'నమస్కారం అమ్మా. నేను ఖమ్మం జూనియర్ సివిల్ జడ్జి కోర్టు ప్రాసెస్ సర్వర్. భయపడకండి. ఇది క్రిమినల్ కేసు కాదు; ఇది సివిల్ కేసులో కోర్టు పంపిన సమన్లు. మీ కుమారుడు వెంకటేశ్వర్లు మీద సివిల్ కేసు ఉంది. ఆయనకు జైలు శిక్ష విధించడానికి నేను రాలేదు; కోర్టులో హాజరు కావాలని తెలియజేయడానికి వచ్చాను. దయచేసి ఆయన ఎక్కడ ఉన్నారో, ఫోన్ నంబర్ ఉంటే చెప్పండి. ఈ సమన్ల కాపీని తీసుకోండి. నేను కోర్టుకు నిజం రాసి పంపాలి.'
Gloss: 'Greetings, mother. I am the process server of the Junior Civil Judge's Court, Khammam. Do not be afraid. This is not a criminal case; this is a summons sent by the court in a civil case. There is a civil case against your son Venkateswarlu. I have not come to send him to jail; I have come to inform him that he must appear in court. Please tell me where he is and, if you have it, his phone number. Please take this copy of the summons. I must report the truth to the court.'
The address 'అమ్మా' is respectful for an elderly woman. 'మీ కుమారుడు' and 'ఆయన' are respectful forms for her son. 'దయచేసి' softens the request. The words 'క్రిమినల్ కేసు కాదు' directly remove her fear of arrest.
2. She offers Rs. 500. Write your reply in Telugu refusing the money and explaining your duty; then state what you should record in your return about the offer.
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Telugu reply: 'అమ్మా, దయచేసి డబ్బు ఇవ్వకండి. నేను డబ్బు తీసుకోవడం చట్టవిరుద్ధం. ఇది నా విధి. నేను నిజంగా జరిగినది మాత్రమే కోర్టుకు రాస్తాను. మీరు డబ్బు ఇచ్చినా నేను తీసుకోను. దయచేసి మీ కుమారుడి చిరునామా లేదా ఫోన్ నంబర్ చెప్పండి.'
Gloss: 'Mother, please do not give money. It is illegal for me to take money. This is my duty. I will write only the truth to the court. Even if you give money, I will not take it. Please tell me your son's address or phone number.'
In the return, record: 'The defendant's mother offered me Rs. 500 and asked me to settle the matter. I refused the money and told her that accepting it would be illegal and against my duty. I did not accept any amount.' Do not threaten her, and do not treat her offer as her son's admission. The offer should be recorded because it is part of what happened, and because accepting or concealing it would damage the process server's credibility.
3. Identify the correct Telugu terms for 'summons', 'affidavit' and 'service of summons', and use each in one sentence.
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'Summons' = సమన్లు (samānlu). Sentence: 'కోర్టు ప్రతివాదికి సమన్లు పంపుతుంది.' (The court sends summons to the defendant.)
'Affidavit' = ప్రమాణపత్రం (pramāṇapatraṁ). Sentence: 'సాక్షి ప్రమాణపత్రం సమర్పించాడు.' (The witness submitted an affidavit.)
'Service of summons' = సమన్లు అందజేయడం (samānlu andajēyaḍaṁ). Sentence: 'ప్రాసెస్ సర్వర్ సమన్లు అందజేయడం తన విధి.' (Service of summons is the process server's duty.)
These are standard formal terms. In a village conversation, the process server may add a simple explanation such as 'కోర్టు నుండి వచ్చిన నోటీసు' (a notice from the court) after using 'సమన్లు', so that the listener understands.