Supreme Court upholds HC order on royal assets

Ltd in which Gayatri Devi held 99 per cent stakes.

The long legal battle between the grandchildren of the late Rajmata Gayatri Devi and her stepsons over the assets of Rajmata’s biological son, the late Maharaj Jagat Singh – mainly the luxurious Jai Mahal hotel – was finally settled on Wednesday.

Gayatri Devi, once described as one of the most lovely women in the world, died in July 2009 at the age of 90.

The Delhi High Court however ruled in favor of her grandchildren.

The dispute started soon after the death of Gayatri Devi in 2009, and the property involved included Jagat Singh’s shares in Jai Mahal Hotels, Ram Bagh Palace Hotels, Sawai Madhopur Lodge and SMS Investment Corporation.

On 23 September, the Supreme Court upheld an earlier judgement by the Delhi High Court in favour of the grandchildren, saying they had been deprived of their rightful share in the properties.

Jagat Singh had died on February 5, 1997, leaving behind his children Devraj and Lalitya and his mother, the Rajmata as his only legal heirs.

The grandchildren of one of the last queens of India, Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, have won a long legal battle to inherit her properties. Thus, the DR Group derived rights from the Gayatri Devi by documents executed by her in her lifetime and conveyed to the Company.

Urvashi Devi and other stepsons Prithvi Raj and Jai Singh, also sought transfer of shares of the companies in their favour, claiming to be heirs of Gayatri Devi. Urvashi Devi filed a counter application disputing the succession certificate. It was further submitted that Gayatri Devi could not enter into any settlement contrary to the Will. The high court had rejected all these contentions and held that the succession certificate issued by the competent court in Rajasthan should be taken as conclusive evidence of the bequest.

The High Court had allowed the plea of Devraj and Lalitya, now residing in Bangkok, that these shares be registered in their names.

The Apex Court accepted the stand taken by the High Court, and was of the opinion that there is no real dispute between the parties. “It had the succession certificate in its favour apart from the transfer deed from Gayatri Devi, who admittedly inherited rights from late Maharaja Jagat Singh”, the South Carolina said while ordering in favour of late Maharani’s grandchildren Devraj and Lalitya Kumari.

Read the Judgment here.