The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Punjab and Haryana High Court order, which awarded a majority share in nearly Rs 20,000 crore properties of Raja Harinder Singh Brar, former ruler of Faridkot state, to his daughters Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, said: “Once the will was proved and found to have been validly executed, in terms of specific clauses in the will, the share of Maharani Mohinder Kaur in the properties left behind by the ruler would naturally be governed by the will executed by the testatrix. The findings rendered by the high court were, therefore, fully justified and there is no reason to entertain any challenge on that behalf. Special Leave Petition… therefore, dismissed without any order as to costs.”
In context of Maharwal Khewaji Trust, which was taking care of the properties, the top court said: “The Trust shall be entitled to run the Charitable Hospital only up to September 30, whereafter all the aspects of management, finance and other control including the need for appointment of a receiver shall be subject to such orders as may be passed by the court executing the decree in the instant matters.”
The bench, also comprising Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia, added: “Rest of the properties in the hands of the Trust and/or any other persons shall be maintained in the same form by all the concerned, till appropriate orders are passed by the Court executing the decree passed in the instant matters. With these observations, the Special Leave Petitions are disposed of.”
Brar’s purported will allowed the Trust to run the affairs of royal properties.
The trust had moved the apex court in 2020 challenging the high court order, which declared Brar’s June 1, 1982, will as forged. The top court allowed the trust to continue as a caretaker. The high court, in June 2020, upheld a Chandigarh court’s order awarding a majority share in the property to Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur. Amrit Kaur had challenged the will in 1992.
A Chandigarh district court in 2013, had granted inheritance to Brar’s daughters. Brar had three daughters, Amrit Kaur, Deepinder Kaur, and Maheepinder Kaur, and son Tikka Harmohinder Singh.
