By Archana Sharma
Jaipur, The 37-year-old dispute over the property of the Mewar royalty worth hundreds of crores of rupees has finally been settled.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge Mahendra Kumar Dave announced the 25 per cent of the share in the name of former Maharana late Bhagwat Singh (last titular ruler of Udaipur princely state), while the remaining 75 per cent will be distributed to his three children — 25 per cent each to his two sons, namely, Mahendra Singh Mewar and Arvind Singh Mewar and the remaining 25 per cent to his daughter Yogeshwari.
Meanwhile, till the time, the 75 per cent property will be divided proportionally further, three siblings shall use it on a rotational basis for four years each, the court order which was delivered on Tuesday said.
The right to use these assets will initially go to Mahendra Singh, which will then be passed on to Yageshwari after four years and then to Arvind Singh Mewar.
The sequence, as said, shall change after every four years.
Yogeshwari, is the wife of Krishna Singh, a resident of Sitamau Palace in Madhya Pradesh.
Mahendra Singh Mewar had filed a petition in the court demanding equal share of property for family members and finally the decree has been passed in his favour.
All movable and immovable properties which have not been transferred to the company, trustees or persons, such as Shambhu Niwas, Badi Pal, Grass House, etc will be used by three parties — Mahendra Singh, Arvind Singh and Yageshwari Devi for four years. Since these properties are currently with Arvind Singh, he has been asked to give the said assets, accounts and documents to his elder brother, Mahendra Singh on April 1, 2021.
Mahendra Singh will give the property to Yageshwari on April 1, 2025. After this, Yageshwari on April 1, 2029 will hand over these assets to Arvind Singh. The asset transfer process will start from January 2021.
The Mewar royal property controversy started when the ex-royal Bhagwat Singh passed on the legal rights to his younger son Arvind Singh depriving his elder son Mahendra Singh of the rightpul claim.
The eldest son Mahendra Singh filed a partition suit on April 22, 1983 demanding an equal share of the property for siblings, said officials.
Meanwhile, in November 1984, after Maharana Bhagwat Singh passed away, Mahendra Singh was accepted as the head of the family and Maharana as per customary tradition in a big public ceremony. As the case was sub-judice, the property was sealed and the matter was discussed in the court for over three decades.
Finally on Tuesday, a detailed 575-page judgment was passed in which the court declared all assets transferred to various trusts as a part of the Hindu undivided family property, and granted equal rights to the successors, awarding 1/4th share to each of three children and one share to the deceased Maharana.
“This order has come after a long time, I thank every one who stood with us in these tough and testing times. Have been getting calls from people of Udaipur and am thankful to them for standing with us in all these years, Vishwaraj Singh, son of Mahendra Singh told IANS.
