Ex-Ruler’s Heirs Move Delhi HC Over Rent For Bikaner House

The heirs of late Maharaja Dr. Karni Singh filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, seeking the recovery of rent arrears from the Centre for the historic Bikaner House located in the national capital.

Court Proceedings & Hearing

A bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela heard the appeal filed by the Estate of late Maharaja Dr. Karni Singh against a single judge’s decision that had refused to grant any relief to the heirs.

The bench directed both the appellant and the Centre to submit specific documents related to the premises. It also posted the matter for hearing in July and instructed the appellants to serve a copy of the plea to the Rajasthan government’s counsel for the next date of hearing.

Background

On February 24, the single judge ruled that the Rajasthan government holds “full and absolute rights” over Bikaner House. The court found that the Maharaja’s heirs had failed to establish any legal entitlement to claim rent arrears from the Centre, specifically for the period between 1991 and 2014.

The judge emphasized that the Centre’s initial payments to the Maharaja were made on an ex-gratia basis, questioning whether the legal heirs could continue to claim such payments after Dr. Karni Singh’s death.

Arguments

Representing the heirs, the counsel argued that the Centre never denied the obligation to make payments, asserting that the heirs were indeed entitled to the ex-gratia payments. The counsel stated:

“They kept saying ‘I will pay.’ There is no denial of duty to pay.”

The lawyer also claimed that the single judge had not considered all relevant material before delivering the verdict, raising concerns over the maintainability of the petition and the time frame for filing such claims.

Historical Context Of Bikaner House

Bikaner House, developed by Dr. Karni Singh’s predecessor between 1922 and 1949, became a subject of legal disputes after its takeover by the government. The heirs claimed that following the property’s acquisition, the Government of India had communicated in 1951 that one-third of the rent from the property would be allocated to the Maharaja’s Estate.

However, they alleged that the Centre ceased payments after Dr. Singh’s death in 1991, despite the historical commitment.

Previous Court Orders & Developments

The single judge’s ruling stated that the payments made by the Centre were purely ex-gratia and could not be claimed as an entitlement. Additionally, the Supreme Court’s order in 2014 directed the Centre to vacate Bikaner House following a suit filed by the Rajasthan government seeking possession of the property.

Court’s next hearing will further address these contentions, with both parties required to present relevant documents and legal arguments.