‘Disinherited’ Faridkot princess now gets share in royal property

Balwant Garg

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Tribune News Service

Faridkot, June 2

A princess, who was allegedly disinherited 40 years back by her father Maharaja Harinder Singh Brar, the last ruler of the erstwhile Faridkot state, from his vast property worth over Rs25,000 crore for marrying against his wishes, has been finally declared one of his rightful successors.

Amrit Kaur (84) has been successful in proving, in three judicial courts (from CJM to High Court), that the propound “will” of her father which had “disinherited” her from the property was a fake document prepared in 1989.

Harinder Singh had died on October 16, 1989, leaving behind daughters Deepinder Kaur and Maheepinder Kaur as his legal heirs under the Hindu Succession Act as per the controversial will.

Maheepinder Kaur died a spinster in 2003 in Himachal Pradesh. Deepinder Kaur, who was married in a royal family of West Bengal, also died on November 11, 2018. The Maharaja’s lone son, Tikka Harmohinder Singh, had died before him on October 13, 1981, while his eldest daughter, Amrit Kaur, who was allegedly disinherited, is still alive.

According to the will purportedly executed by Harinder Singh on June 1, 1982, Amrit Kaur was “disinherited” for marrying against his wishes.

As per the controversial will, the Maharaja had bequeathed his entire property to Maharawal Khewaji Trust, which is looking after the properties for the last over 31 years.

A Chandigarh resident, Amrit Kaur had challenged her father’s will in 2010, claiming that some of his old servants had executed a dubious will to retain control over the property.

In July 2013, the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh, had declared the will void and named Deepinder and Amrit Kaur as legal heirs.

However, members of the Trust challenged this decision. In March 2018, Chandigarh district court upheld the lower court’s verdict. Then, the Trust challenged the verdict in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and now, this court has upheld the lower court’s verdict.

“Representing a style of architecture that flourished during the second half of the nineteenth and first half of the 20th century in the Sikh states of Punjab, the rulers of Faridkot state had built a variety of buildings,” said Subhash Parihar, an art historian who wrote a book, Architectural Heritage of a Sikh State: Faridkot.

Proves will was fake

• Amrit Kaur has been successful in proving, in three judicial courts (from CJM to HC), that the ‘will’ of her father Maharaja Harinder Singh Brar, which had ‘disinherited’ her from the property was a fake document prepared in 1989
• According to the will, purportedly executed by Harinder Singh on June 1, 1982, Amrit Kaur was ‘disinherited’ for marrying against his wishes