A protracted dispute involving one of the most storied royal families of India has finally ended in an amicable settlement after a Supreme Court-appointed mediator brokered a deal that will see two iconic properties — the Jai Mahal and Rambagh Palace Hotels — go to the different claimants. Here’s all you need to know.
Who Are The Jaipur Royals?
The dispute settled out of court involved the grandchildren of Rajmata Gayatri Devi — Devraj Singh and his sister Lalitya Kumari — on the one hand and their step uncles and their families. Gayatri Devi — the famous beauty from the Cooch Behar princely state — was the third wife of Sawai Man Singh, the last ruler of the princely state of Jaipur before it was dissolved following India’s independence. The couple had one son, Jagat Singh, who in turn had married a member of the Thai royal family. The couple would eventually divorce.
On the other side were Jai Singh, the son of Sawai Man Singh from his second wife Kishor Kanwar, and Vijit Singh. Vijit is the grandson of Man Singh and the nephew of Jai Singh, being the son of his brother Prithvi Raj, who died of Covid-19-related complications in December last year.
Sawai Man Singh II, born Mor Mukut Singh, was the last ruling king of Jaipur. Adopted by Sawai Madho Singh in 1921 and ascending the throne a year later at the age of 10, Man Singh ruled the Jaipur state till 1949, when it acceded to the Union of India. He was succeeded upon his death in 1970 by his firstborn, Lt Col. Bhawani Singh, as the titular king of Jaipur. Bhawani Singh was the son of Man Singh and his first wife, Marudhar Kanwar. Apart from the four sons from his three wives, Man Singh also had one daughter, Prem Kumari.
Legend has it that the Jaipur royals belong to the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs and are descended from Kush, one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita of Ramayana fame. The predecessor state to Jaipur was called Dhundhar, or Dausa, and was founded in 1093 by one Duleh Rai, or Dulha Rao. The state was known as Amber from the 14th century to 1727, when the new capital called Jayapura was built, which was then renamed to Jaipur.
What Was The Dispute Among The Members Of The Jaipur Royal Family?
Reports say that a dispute arose in the royal family in 1997 following the death of Jagat Singh when his stepbrothers refused to recognise Devraj and Lalitya as his legal heirs. All four sons of Man Singh had a share in the properties that belonged to the royal family.
That matter was resolved by Supreme Court in 2015 when it ruled that Jagat Singh’s children had a legal right to their father’s share in the royal family properties. But the question of the actual stake had been left open with Lalitya and Devraj having had challenged an alleged dilution of their father Jagat Singh’s stake in the properties by their step uncles.
Chief among these properties were the Jai Mahal Palace and Rambagh Palace, both converted into heritage hotels run by the Tata group and representing the main source of income for the royals.
Reports say that after years of legal wrangling, the parties had opted to explore an amicable settlement after the Supreme Court suggested that recourse. The apex court had appointed its retired judge Kurian Joseph as the mediator.
Earlier, it was reported that Gayatri Devi had initially told courts that her late son Jagat had disowned her grandchildren Devraj and Lalitya, which disqualified them from inheriting his share in the royal property. But an agreement later followed between her and the grandchildren in 2008, which saw a court issue a succession certificate to them. After Gayatri Devi’s death in 2009, Devraj and Lalitya were reported to be claiming their grandmother’s share as well.
What’s The Settlement Agreed Upon?
According to reports, the settlement agreed out of court will see the Jai Mahal Palace Hotel go to Devraj and Lalitya while their step uncles keep Rambagh Palace.
Vijit Singh and his brother Jai Singh, sons of late Prithviraj, Sawai Man Singh’s sons from his marriage with Maharani Kishore Kunwar, agreed to handover Jai Mahal Palace Hotel to Devraj Singh and Lalitya Kumari at a settlement arrived at on December 15. The majestic property is run as a hotel by the Tata Group under contract management.
“In view of the settlement reached between the parties, learned counsels on both sides made a request to dispose of these appeals in terms of settlement. In view of the request made, these appeals are disposed of with a direction that all the parties concerned shall abide by the terms of the settlement. The order impugned stands modified, in terms of the Memorandum of Settlement dated December 15, 2021. Subject to above, Civil Appeals stand disposed of,” the apex court said in its order on the amicable settlement presented by the mediator.
“Maharaj Jai Singh and Maharaj Vijit Singh agreed to handover the Jai Mahal Palace to our clients (Maharaj Devraj Singh and Rajkumari Lalitya Kumari ) under an amicable settlement arrived between them all on December 15, 2021,” advocate Abhishek Kumar Rao of law firm Prime Legal India LLP, said. Simultaneously, Devraj and Lalitya Kumari will also leave some of their rights in other property, he said.
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