State defeats royal trust after 51-year battle for prime land in Indore

In a major victory, the Indore district administration has finally won a 51-year-old land ownership case against a royal family trust in the Supreme Court, additional district collector Dilip Kumar said on Wednesday.

In a major victory, the Indore district administration has finally won a 51-year-old land ownership case against a royal family trust in the Supreme Court, additional district collector Dilip Kumar said on Wednesday.

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The battle for the ownership of the property, involving over 900 acres of prime land, began in 1964 when the then collector of Indore objected to the possession of the property by the daughter of Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar, Usha Raje, the main person behind Usha Raje Trust.

The land has Ganji Compound opposite the collectorate, some land near Khandwa Road, Bijasan, Ashapura in Mhow and Betma among other place. The order was passed on Wednesday, but the copy of the verdict is yet to be received by the administration.

Additional collector Dilip Kumar said,"We have won the case. The lawyers representing Madhya Pradesh in this case informed me about the victory over phone, but we are awaiting the detailed judgement."

In August 2001, Usha Raje lost the case in the district court and later appealed to the high court, where she won in August 2010. The district administration, however, appealed against the order.

In February 2011, a double bench comprising justice KK Lahoti and justice S Kemkar rejected the review petition on the grounds that the document relied by the state were not produced before the trial court or at the high court bench where the case was put up.

The state then appealed in the Supreme Court against the high court and after completing the hearing a few months back, the Supreme Court reserved the case for judgment. The judgment was announced on Wednesday.

Timeline

1951: State had handed over the possession of the land to the royal family

1964: Collector objected the possession

Following this Usha Raje filed a suit

August 2001: Usha Raje lost in the trial court

August 2010: The same order was set aside by the high court

February 2011: The high court dismissed the review petition of the state and an appeal was filed before the Supreme Court.