Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: Heirs of the late ruler Dr Karni Singh on Tuesday moved Delhi High Court seeking rent arrears from the Centre for Bikaner House in Delhi.
A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela heard the appeal by the estate of the late maharaja, Dr Karni Singh, against a single judge’s decision refusing to grant any relief to the heirs. The court asked the appellant and the Centre to place on record certain documents in relation to the premises.
Posting the hearing for July, the court asked the heirs to serve a copy of the plea to the counsel for the state of Rajasthan so that it can be represented on the next date.
In Feb, the high court concluded that Rajasthan govt “undisputedly” held the “full and absolute rights” over Bikaner House. The maharaja of Bikaner’s heirs, who sought payment from 1991 to 2014, failed to establish any legal right over the property and claim rent arrears from the Centre.
The judge said the initial payment by the Centre was on an ex-gratia basis and questioned if the heirs were entitled to stake any claim after Singh’s death.
The counsel argued that the Centre never denied payment to the heirs who were entitled to the ex-gratia payment and that there was no dispute between the heirs. They contended that the single judge decided the case without considering the material.
The heirs argued that when Bikaner House was taken over, a communication was sent by the Government of India in 1951 stating that one-third rent from the property would be released to the Maharaja’s Estate. They said the Centre stopped paying after Singh’s death in 1991. TNN
Mayank Rawat
