SC rules against Urvashi Devi faction in Jaipur royal family tussle

The Supreme Court on Wednesday handed down a judgment on the property dispute within the erstwhile ruling family of the Jaipur royalty.By the verdict, Rajkumar Devraj and Rajkumari Lalitya Kumari, son and daughter of the late Maharaja Jagat Singh, won their long-standing dispute with a rival family group led by  Urvashi Devi, granddaughter of the late Rajmata Gayatri Devi.

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.

Urvashi Devi, granddaughter of the husband of Gayatri Devi from another wife, took the succession dispute to the Company Law Board, alleging the will was not valid and not properly executed. The board rejected the claim of the Rajkumar and Rajkumari Lalitya, stating the complex issues of succession should be decided by a civil court and the board had no jurisdiction to deal with it under the Companies Act.

However, the Delhi high court overruled the board and ordered transfer of shares in favour of the duo. The rival group appealed to the Supreme Court against it but in their judgment, judges Anil Dave and A K Goel ruled the HC was right and the board was wrong. The Urvashi Devi group was also asked to pay costs of Rs 5 lakh to the duo.

The judgment has the following conclusions: Jagat Singh  executed a will in favour of his mother, Gayatri Devi which is not in dispute;  Gayatri Devi, Rajkumar and Rajkumari jointly obtained succession certificates; and Gayatri Devi  signed the transfer deeds and communicated these to the board of directors. The judgment said that in view of these, the CLB had no justification to reject the claim of the Rajkumar and Rajkumari  and the shares could be transferred to the son and daughter duo.

With the judgment, the grandchildren are likely to approach the CLB,  where they have challenged the issuance of shares by the stepsons to themselves and to their group. As a result of which, they allege, they have been reduced to a minority from a decisive majority of 99 per cent. The lawyers of the grandchildren  are reportedly planning to approach the CLB to hasten its decision, as they feel there is nothing much to be contested now.

While Urvashi Devi accepted the validity of a will of Jagat Singh  dated June 23, 1996, executed in favour of Gayatri Devi by Jagat Singh, she contested the succession certificate. According to her, the Rajkumar and Rajkumari had no right of succession in view of this will were also not the heirs of Gayatri Devi, as Jagat Singh was adopted in another family. She also contested the will of Gayatri Devi and a settlement over the succession.

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. It was contended that the Rajmata could not enter into any settlement contrary to the will dated June 23, 1996.

According to them, she died intestate on September 29, 2009, and had been disinherited by Jagat Singh. 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.