The properties of Sir Harinder Singh Brar,the late Maharaja of Faridkot,have long been out of bounds to the public. Staff at Raj Mahal wont even disclose their names. A couple of kilometres away is Quila Mubarak,equally inaccessible. But Ram Milan,58,remembers what it used to be like inside. When the Maharaja was alive,I was given space on the outer verandah to run my dhaba, he says. Inside,the chairs were of silver,the utensils of gold and silver. At the back were stables for horses and elephants. Beyond the palace and the fort are thousands of acres of forest and agricultural land,properties elsewhere,and bank deposits,the total worth said to be Rs 20,000 crore. Now a Chandigarh court order has set the stage for sharing of the property between the maharajas two surviving daughters,but it is likely to be challenged. The inheritors Sisters Amrit Kaur,who is based in Chandigarh,and Deepinder Kaur,based in Burdwan,are on opposing sides of the legal battle. Neither could be contacted; The Indian Express spoke to the lawyers on both sides. Amrit,the eldest,was left out of a 1982 will,which she challenged in court. Deepinder chairs the trust that was willed the property. Sources who have followed the proceedings said she is deeply involved in the trust. The maharaja had four children,including a third daughter,now dead. The only son,a bachelor,died in 1981,and the maharaja in 1989. The will,dated June 1,1982,leaves all the property to Maharawal Khawaji Trust,naming Deepinder as its chairperson and the youngest daughter,Maheepinder Kaur,as the vice-chairperson. Maheepinder,who wasnt married,died in 2001. Since then,Deepinders son Jaichand has been vice-chairman. He is is currently renovating of the palace. Amrit filed a civil suit alleging the will was illegal. Ranjit Singh Vehnival,the trusts lawyer,said the maharaja had disowned Amrit after she married against his wishes. Last week,the Chandigarh chief judicial magistrate ruled the will illegal. With the will being declared illegal,the Meharwal Khewaji Trust too has become illegal, says Amrits advocate,Vikas Jain. He alleged the trustees have squandered away the properties over the years. They even resorted to arson to show fictitious losses. Vehnival said,It is the first case I have lost,and I have fought thousands. The will was not forged; it was signed by the maharaja. We are waiting for a copy of the ruling,after which we will challenge it in a higher court,with the consent of Deepinder Kaur. The property Raj Mahal spans 14 acres and has over 700 employees. It has 37 rooms,a swimming pool for children,a gurdwara and a hall of paintings. Part of it was converted into a library in memory of the third daughter,though it has no visitors. It also has a hospital,where treatment and medicines are free save for a Rs 2 slip. Quila Mubaraks rooms used to house government offices,until the trust got these vacated in 2004. It has a hall of mirrors,a gurdwara,a durbar hall complex,and a dargah. The royal property includes 7,000 acres of forest land and 3,000 acres agricultural land in Faridkot alone. The maharaja set up a country club in the forest and stayed there occasionally. There are properties in Gurgaon,Hisar,Chandigarh,Ambala and elsewhere,flats and plots in Delhi,and a fort in Manimajra. The airfield on Faridkots outskirts spans 200 acres. The four aircraft at the hangar are in tatters. The 18 vintage cars at the palace still work; these include a Rolls Royce,a Bentley,a Jaguar,a Daimler,and a Packard. The deposits include jewellery worth nearly Rs 10,000 crore in a bank in Mumbai. Other movable properties include tractors,motorcycles and a battle wagon. (With ENS inputs,Chandigarh) The royal siblings Tikka Harmohinder Singh Only son of Maharaja Harinder Singh and Maharani Narinder Kaur. Died October 13,1981,in a road accident. Amrit Kaur The maharajas eldest daughter. Left out of the 1982 will,she was the one who went to court against it. Now settled in Chandigarh. Deepinder Kaur The other surviving daughter,settled in Burdwan. She chairs the trust that was willed the property. The court ruling that declared the will illegal means Deepinder is to share it with her elder sister,but the trust plans to challenge the order. Maheepinder Kaur The youngest daughter,named by the will as vice-chairperson of the trust. Died in 2001 in Mashobra.
