23 years on,court settles royal dispute

Justice V K Sharma passed the order last week,saying all claimants had reached a settlement to share the property and let the High Court pass the final order on disposal of the case. The dispute pertained to the estate of Maharaja Amar Parkash,ruler of the former princely state. After he died in 1933,his eldest son Maharaja Rajendra Prakash succeeded him.

After Independence,the properties held by the Maharaja as a ruler were divided into state properties and private properties,with the Maharaja the absolute owner of the private properties vested in him as Ruler of Sirmour State as recognised by the President of India under Article 363 of the Constitution.

In 1964,Maharaja Rajendra Prakash died. The heirs to his his property were his mother Rajmata Mandalsa Devi,his wives Maharani Durga Devi and Maharani Indira Devi,and his daughters Raj Kumari Nalini Devi and Maharani Padmini Devi of Jaipur.

Since then,the Maharaja’s mother,wives and daughter Raj Kumari Nalini Devi have died. The agricultural properties of Maharaja Rajendra Prakash in Uttarakhand have already been divided between Maharani Padmini Devi and Maharaj Kumar Udai Prakash (adopted son of Maharani Durga Devi) by means of a compromise deed.

The suit for the rest of the property,involving various claimants,was filed in the High Court in 1987. Earlier efforts to resolve it through mediation failed,till the case was disposed of as not maintainable by Justice V K Sharma. A compromise has been arrived at between the parties in a connected suit,involving the properties of Maharaja Rajendra Prakash and Maharani Prem Lata Devi,his sister.

Chief Justice Kurian Joseph last year had started the mediation process. An earlier order passed in the case involved four Solan-based brothers,who had not spoken to each other for two decades. The court had told them to celebrate Diwali jointly and host dinners for each other alternately to pave the way for a resolution.