Supreme Court to hear Royal Family's Town Hall property dispute
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government, in which the petition of the former royal family will be heard. The petition has sought status quo on structural changes to Jaipur's Town Hall. The royal family claims it was their personal property which was being used on licence by the state government.
The Supreme Court has notified the Rajasthan government regarding a petition from the former royal family requesting to maintain the current state of structural modifications at the Town Hall in Jaipur, previously the old state legislature building. The petitioners, including Rajmata Padmini Devi, Diya Kumari, and Sawai Padmanabh Singh, assert that the building is privately owned by them, as it was the property of the former Maharaja of Jaipur and was utilized by the state government for assembly purposes under a license.
Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih stated that the Rajasthan government should not postpone the issue until the Supreme Court reaches a decision on the plea. Following the discussions, the Supreme Court scheduled the matter for a hearing in eight weeks.
The heritage look of the building will change
The former royal family members appealed to the supreme court against the temporary ruling of the Rajasthan High Court, which had rejected their appeal. The petitioners claimed that the state government plans to construct a museum on the property, altering its heritage appearance. Thus, they requested to preserve the current state of the building regarding the proposed changes.
Government never acquired ownership of the building
The high court's ruling supported the trial court's position that the official utilization of the property must be evaluated thoroughly. In the Supreme Court hearing, the petitioners' lawyer argued that the property was owned by the former Maharaja of Jaipur, as per the agreement among the rulers of that era.
The petitioners claim that the state government was not involved in the agreement, so the building's ownership was never transferred to the government. The royal family members contend that the government has been utilizing the building for official purposes as a licensee.