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This is an archive article published on August 20, 2009

Rajmata’s grandchildren produce ‘will’,claim property

After weeks of speculation over the will of the late Rajmata of Jaipur,Gayatri Devi,estimated at around Rs 1,000 crore,her grandchildren Devraj Singh and Lalitya Devi....

After weeks of speculation over the will of the late Rajmata of Jaipur,Gayatri Devi,estimated at around Rs 1,000 crore,her grandchildren Devraj Singh and Lalitya Devi have staked claim to all royal properties of Jaipur,armed with a will the duo claim was handed to them by Brigadier Bhawani Singh. According to Devraj and Lalitya,the rest of the erstwhile royal family members also know of this will,and hope to “receive the support of all family members”.

According to Devraj and Lalitya,Gayatri Devi left her last will and testament with her stepson and Maharaja of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family Brig Bhawani Singh. In a joint statement,the duo said,“Rajmata Gayatri Devi left her last will in favour of us,giving us all her properties and rights. We are the natural legal heirs entitled to succeed her estate.” While not declaring the actual details,the siblings maintained that they wanted to clear the air over her will,following “unconfirmed reports”,that disturbed the family.

Devraj and Lalitya are the children of Gayatri Devi’s only son Jagat Singh. Singh was married to Thai princess Priyananda Rangsit,but the couple divorced in 1987. Following Singh’s death in 1997,a feud erupted over his will,in which Singh transferred all property and assets to Gayatri Devi,which Priyananda challenged in court. Devraj and Lalitya have been staying in Jaipur since Gayatri Devi’s death on July 29. Speculation over which of the family members would inherit Gayatri Devi’s legacy began soon after her death. In 2006,Priyanandana and her two children had filed a property suit against the Rajmata over Jagat Singh’s will. Priyananda had claimed that her ex-husband’s will had been forged.

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