NEW DELHI: A Delhi Court has turned down the review petition of a man claiming ‘sole legal heir’ of a royal family challenging the dismissal of his initial plea seeking ownership rights over Qutub Minar land.
Kunwar Mahender Dhwaj Pratap Singh, who claimed to be the descendant of Beswan Royal family, had moved an intervention application claiming the land of the heritage monument amid hearing of a matter before the court on worship rights for Hindus and Jains inside the Archaeological Survey of India’s protected site. His earlier plea was dismissed by the court in September and he was approaching again with the review petition.
Additional District Judge Dinesh Kumar of Saket court, however, said, “..I do not find any reason sufficient to review the order dated 20.09.2022 passed by this Court. This Court cannot again review the said order just to find out whether there is another view possible or not. I am of the considered opinion that the applicant has failed to show any sufficient ground for review of the order dated 20.09.2022. The application is without merits.It is therefore,dismissed and disposed of accordingly.
CLAIMS OF ‘ROYAL HEIR’
As per Singh’s application, being sovereign of United Province of Agra which was ruled by Raja Rohini
Raman Dhwaj Prasad Singh upto 1950, which was ‘Avibhajaya Rajaya’ i.e. non partitionable Estate of Raja Rohini Raman Dhawaj Prasad Singh, the sole male legal heir survivor, inherited the powers of the sovereign,which was never taken by the Union of India after independence in 1947.
It was contended that the government never entered into any treaty, merger or accession with the applicant or his father and therefore, till date the status of the applicant is sovereign and the Central, State Govt. of Delhi, U.P. and Haryana have no right, title or interest in the area ruled by the Princely State of Beswan family.
Any rule, regulation or gazette notification by the British Govt. is not binding upon the applicant. Ruled area of the applicant extend from Meerut to Agra in between River Yamuna and Ganga which are presently covered under U.P., Delhi and Haryana. The present suit for declaration has been filed by the persons who have no legal right in respect for the land covered under the Qutub Minar Complex.
The applicant has every legal right to protect his territory by all means, it was stated.
LAWSUIT SEEKING RESTORATION OF DEITIES
In 2021, a civil suit, filed on behalf of Jain deity Tirthankar Lord Rishabh Dev and Hindu deity Lord Vishnu (through their next of friends), seeking restoration of an alleged temple complex, comprising as many as 27 temples inside Qutub Minar Complex.
However, it was dismissed and the court also observed that wrongs may have been committed in the past, “but such wrongs cannot be the basis for disturbing the peace of our present and future”. Referring to a portion of the Ayodhya judgment, the court had said: “Cognisant as we are of our history and of the need for the nation to confront it, Independence was a watershed moment to heal the wounds of the past. Historical wrongs cannot be remedied by the people taking the law into their own hands.” Later, the plaintiffs were moving an appeal against the court order which is presently before the court.