The heirs of the last Maharaja of Bikaner, Dr Karni Singh, have filed a petition in the Delhi High Court demanding the outstanding rent for Bikaner House from the Central Government.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gendela has instructed both the petitioners and the Central Government to present relevant documents before the next hearing.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for July 17.
Additionally, the court directed the petitioners to provide a copy of the petition to the Rajasthan government.
Challenge To Single Bench Decision
The petition challenges the decision of a single bench of the Delhi High Court, which had previously dismissed a similar petition filed by Dr Karni Singh’s daughter, Rajyashri Kumari Bikaner.
The single bench, in its ruling on February 24, had stated that the Rajasthan government holds undisputed full rights over Bikaner House.
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The court had also concluded that the heirs failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claim for outstanding rent from the Central Government.
In its judgment, the court questioned whether the legal heirs had the right to claim rent after the Maharaja’s death, noting that the initial payment made by the Centre to the Maharaja was on an ex-gratia basis.
Claim Of Unpaid Rent For Over Two Decades
The petition filed by the heirs claims that the Central Government owes unpaid rent dating back over 23 years.
Specifically, Rajyashri Kumari Bikaner is seeking rent payments from October 1991 to December 2014, when the Centre allegedly stopped making payments under the 1951 agreement.
The petition also mentions that the rent payments ceased after she vacated Bikaner House in 2014.
The case remains ongoing, with the Delhi High Court set to review the matter again in July.
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