With two judges arriving at different conclusions, the Supreme Court has directed that the issue of acquisition of properties of the late Raja Bahadur Sardar Singh of Khetri, a member of the Constituent Assembly, by the Rajasthan government be placed before the Chief Justice of India for reference to a larger bench. While Justice R Banumathi set aside the order of the Rajasthan High Court — directing that the properties be made over to Khetri Trust, a trust said to have been created by Raja Bahadur Sardar Singh — Justice Indira Banerjee upheld the order. Accordingly it was ordered, “in view of difference of opinions and the distinguishing judgments (Hon’ble R. Banumathi, J. allowed the appeal and Hon’ble Indira Banerjee, J. dismissed the appeal), the matter be placed before Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India for referring the matter to the Larger Bench”. A Bar at law from England, a Rajya Sabha Member and ambassador to Laos, Raja Bahadur Singh died intestate on January 28, 1987.
