HC upholds eviction order against Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s family

The bench said it did not find any reason to interfere with the order of eviction which was passed in November 2001.

The Delhi High Court ruled that neither Late Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gaekwad nor his legal heirs are entitled to continue indefinitely in a government accommodation in Safdarjung Lane in New Delhi, which was provided to him by virtue of him becoming a Member of Parliament.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said it did not find any reason to interfere with the order of eviction which was passed in November 2001.

“Neither Maharaja Ranjit Singh nor the legal heirs are entitled to continue indefinitely in a Government accommodation,” the high court observed while dismissing an appeal filed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh against the eviction order.

The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gaekwad was allotted the government accommodation at 7, Safdarjung Lane in 1980 in his capacity as Member of the Parliament. He remained Member of the Parliament till November 27, 1989 and the allotment was cancelled on December 27, 1989.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh did not vacate the said house. Eviction proceedings were initiated and finally eviction order was passed on November 28, 2001.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Gaekwad was the second son of Late Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Gaekwad who was the erstwhile ruler of Baroda State. The late Maharaja Sir Pratap had signed the Instrument of Merger with the Union of India on March 21, 1949.

As per the terms of the Covenant, the private properties belonging to Maharaja Sir Pratap were to be retained by the Maharaja of Baroda and, other properties, which were not his personal properties, became the exclusive properties of Government of India.