Kathmandu, July 15: A decades-long dispute over the vast wealth of India’s Scindia royal family appears to have been settled, paving the way for the division of assets estimated at around INR 400 billion (about NPR 640 billion). Indian media report that family members have reached an agreement, ending more than 16 years of legal battles over palaces, luxury residences, commercial properties, farmland, and trust holdings.
The settlement is expected to benefit the families of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leader Pashupati Shumsher Rana and royalist leader Dr Dhawal Shumsher Rana, who are linked to the Scindia family through marriage. Reports estimate that each family branch could receive assets worth about INR 80 billion, equivalent to roughly NPR 128 billion.
The dispute dates back to disagreements between the late Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and her son, the late Madhavrao Scindia. After the Rajmata reportedly sought to exclude Madhavrao from her will, the conflict continued into the next generation.
On one side was Madhavrao’s son, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. On the other were his four aunts, Vasundhara Raje, Yashodhara Raje, Usha Raje, and the family of the late Padma Raje. The dispute centred on ownership of the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, luxury properties in Delhi and Mumbai, and other assets across India. Jyotiraditya argued that the eldest son should inherit the estate under royal tradition, while his aunts claimed equal rights under India’s Hindu Succession Act.
According to a 35-page settlement filed in a Gwalior court, the family has adopted a simple formula: whoever currently occupies a property will become its legal owner. Properties registered under trusts or companies will now be transferred to the individuals in possession. The agreement is expected to end more than a dozen court cases pending in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Gwalior.
The settlement has drawn attention in Nepal because two branches of the Scindia family are connected to the Rana family. Usha Raje Scindia is married to Pashupati Shumsher Rana, while Pratima, daughter of the late Padma Raje Scindia, is married to Dr Dhawal Shumsher Rana. Since Padma Raje has passed away, her share will be inherited by her daughters, including Pratima.
Among the most valuable assets is the world-famous Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, widely expected to remain with Jyotiraditya Scindia. The estate includes a museum, a palace hall decorated with about 560 kilograms of gold leaf, chandeliers weighing around 3,500 kilograms, and the palace’s iconic silver train. The Rajmata’s prized emerald Shiva Lingam is also reportedly part of the settlement and is expected to pass to Jyotiraditya under the agreement.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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