Mumbai: The organisers of leading beauty pageant 'Femina Miss India' has appointed a three-member committee to investigate into allegations pertaining to the marital status of one of winners of the contest Lakshmi Pandit.

The committee was set up following a news report that that the 22-year-old city-based classical dancer, who had bagged the runners up title at the contest, was married, sources at Femina said today (Mar 30, 2004).

As per the beauty pageant rules, the contestant should be a spinster.

"The committee will probe into the charges and would submit a report soon," they said.

"If the allegations were found to be true, the committee would probe the legal actions in the case and would decide the next course of action," sources said.

"Since such an incident has been unprecedented in the history of the beauty pageant, we do not really have any rules to decide the future course of action. However, the committee would deliberate and decide on the same," she said.

"In case Pandit loses her crown, the next runner up would be considered in the list of priority. However, nothing still has been decided so far," the sources said.

Pandit had been crowned the 'Miss India World', while Tanushree Dutta of Jamshedpur was conferred the Miss-India Universe title at the Ponds Femina Miss India 2004 contest, held on March 27.