Faridkot inheritance battle on over ‘assignment deed’

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, June 8

In another twist to the legal fight over the inheritance of assets worth a staggering Rs 25,000 crore of the erstwhile Maharaja of Faridkot, nine persons, in a petition in the Patiala House Court in Delhi, have claimed that one of the princesses had entered into an agreement with them, selling all her rights in the disputed property on February 14, 1996, for Rs 65 lakh.

9 persons file petition

• They have stated that as per their 'agreement' with Amrit Kaur, a daughter of the late Maharaja, they were to bear all expenditure for the litigation connected with the inheritance battle
• They say as per the deed, the properties awarded to the Maharaja's daughter will now be evaluated and they shall pay 20% of it to become absolute owners of the properties
• Last week, the HC had ruled that Maharaja's daughters Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur would largely inherit his wealth along with his nephew

Last week, after about a three-decade-long legal fight, while nullifying a ‘will’, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ruled that his two daughters — Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur — would largely inherit Maharaja’s wealth along with his nephew.

In their petition in Patiala House Court, Gurpreet Singh and his eight associates claimed that during the pendency of legal fight over the property, Amrit Kaur had entered into an assignment deed with them, for a total consideration of Rs 65 lakh, selling the property.

After the payment of Rs 65 lakh to Amrit Kaur, the latter had also executed a Registered General Power of Attorney in favour of Gurpreet Singh and his associates, the petitioners claimed.

As per the assignment deed, Gurpreet and his associates were to bear and incur all expenditure for the litigation connected with or arising out of it. As per this deed, the properties awarded to the Maharaja’s daughter will now be evaluated and Gurpreet and his associates shall pay 20 per cent of the evaluated amount of the property to become absolute owners of the properties.

The district court in Patiala House, New Delhi, has fixed July 30 as the next date of hearing in this case for framing of issues.

Some members of Mehrawal Khewaji Trust said as Amrit Kaur had already sold all her rights in the property during the pendency of the decision on the authenticity of the will, she had no right to pursue the case after February 14, 1996.

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