The vanquished side, Govind Johari, owner of the Laxmi Niwas Palace hotel in Bikaner, has filed an FIR and moved court to get his property back. Johri claims that on October 10, about 150 armed men arrived, evicted his staff and captured the 120-room hotel. They did it at the behest of the former Maharaja of Bikaner, Narendra Singh, he alleges. The High Court has asked the police to report on what actually happened. State police chief Amitabh Gupta told The Indian Express that a report was being prepared.

The Laxmi Niwas Palace was originally owned by Narendra Singh's father, Bikaner's erstwhile Maharaja, Karni Singh. Johari says that on June 8, 1995, it was leased out to his company, Johari Forts and Palaces PvtLtd, for 69 years at an annual rent of Rs 12,000. He paid the Rs 1.55 crore security deposit demanded by Singh by October 10 that year.

Johri claims he invested Rs 25 crore in converting the Palace into a commercial hotel and also got the Palace insured against fire for Rs 10 crore. According to the FIR filed by Ramesh Mathur, the hotel manager, Narendra Singh and his men rounded up the hotel staff asking them to leave the building since ``the Maharaja was taking possession of his Palace''.

Mathur alleges that the Maharaja threatened to kill him and since October 11, the hotel has been occupied by his supporters.

In his affidavit to the Rajasthan High Court, Johari has said that the ``dacoits'' not only beat up the hotel staff and abducted the manager but also forced the hotel staff, including manager Mathur and security officer, Digvijay Singh to sign blank stamped papers. Johari, in his affidavit, says police didn't act because Narendra Singh is close to those in power. His cousin Devi Singh Bhati isa BJP MLA and an ex-minister in the Shekhawat Cabinet.

But, Narendra Singh denies all this: ``I am not entitled to privy purse and I too need money for my livelihood. That is why I re-occupied my palace. ``The manager handed over the hotel keys in a peaceful manner,'' Singh told The Indian Express on phone from Bikaner. Singh says he did received Rs 80 lakh from Johari though Johari has, in possession, receipts for Rs 1.55 crore paid to Maharaja mainly though cheques. ``I will return the money to him and run the hotel myself,'' the Maharaja says.