Relatives of the last ruler of Punjab’s erstwhile princely state of Faridkot were among 23 people booked for fraud on Wednesday for allegedly forging his will in 1982. The case was filed a month after the Punjab and Haryana high court ruled that Harinder Singh Brar’s will was forged in Maharwal Khewaji Trust’s favour.
Members of the trust, including its chairman and the ruler’s grandson, Jai Chand Mehtab, are among those booked on the complaint of Brar’s daughter, Amrit Kaur. Mehtab’s sister, Nisha D Kher, who is vice-chairperson of the trust, has also named in the case. The other accused include the trust’s CEO Jagir Singh Sran.
The property dispute dates back to 1989 when Brar’s will bequeathing his properties to the Trust, with his daughter, Deepinder Kaur, as its head, surfaced after his death.
The court observed the Maharwal Khewaji Trust’s trustees conspired to create the will to take over the property. “The will is proved to be forged, fictitious, fabricated, and shrouded with suspicious circumstances,” the court said.
The accused have been booked under the Indian Penal Code’s sections, including those pertaining to cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
Senior police superintendent Swarndeep Singh said Amrit Kaur filed a complaint on the basis of the court order and they registered the case after taking legal advice. “She has stated, in her complaint, that the accused have committed forgery by preparing a fake will of the Faridkot ruler.”
{{/usCountry}}Senior police superintendent Swarndeep Singh said Amrit Kaur filed a complaint on the basis of the court order and they registered the case after taking legal advice. “She has stated, in her complaint, that the accused have committed forgery by preparing a fake will of the Faridkot ruler.”
{{/usCountry}}The court upheld a Chandigarh court’s order awarding the majority share in the ₹20,000-crore property of Brar to his two daughters —Amrit Kaur and Deepinder Kaur.
Brar died in 1989 and left behind prime properties in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Deepinder Kaur died while the legal battle was on. Amrit Kaur lives in Chandigarh. Brar’s son, Harmohinder Singh, died in a road accident in 1981. His third daughter, Maheepinder Kaur, is also dead.
The property dispute reached the high court in 2018 after a Chandigarh court declared the trust void and gave the property to the daughters. In June this year, the high court upheld the Chandigarh court’s order.
Jagir Singh Saran, chief executive of the Maharawal Khewaji Trust, said they were awaiting the details of the FIR. “There was no forgery... we have all record and facts. After the high court verdict, we got 90 days to move the Supreme Court. We are consulting legal experts and will soon challenge the high court verdict in the apex court. The FIR was lodged to put pressure on the trust before the proceedings start in the SC,” he said.