What is at stake in the Gwalior family feud

What is at stake in the Gwalior family feud
Ritu Sarin

The vault is located deep in the innards of the Jai Vilas palace in Gwalior, its walls lined by steel cupboards and safes. And the few who have stepped into this sanctum sanctorum of the Gwalior empire say some of the heirlooms and pieces of jewelry it holds are breathless. Indeed, a glimpse of what lies inside secure walls can be gauged from the antiques and royal artifacts displayed in the main Palace. Chandeliers and carpets believed to be the largest in the world in the living room, a hallmark silver bathtub and pure gold tongue cleaners in a bathroom and a collection of crystal, antique furniture and objects 'd art, majority of which are, simply, priceless.

All this is but a fraction of the wealth of the Gwalior family, the feud over which has split into public domain with the release of the will of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia by her associate and one of the executors of the testament, Sardar S C Angre. For royalty watchers, the will reveals a familiar pattern of consolidation and use of royal property for public benefits for which the Rajmata and her late husband, Maharaja Jivaji Rao Scindia were known. But privately, the Scindia clan and their confidants realize the worst-case scenario has now unfolded: the Rajmata has bequeathed very little to her children and what is worse, has given ``rank outsiders'' like Angre and her personal physician, Dr J K a share in the properties.

What is now at stake in the ensuing battle royale? The Scindia clan is still in mourning at the Jija Aasheesh Mahal (or Rani Mahal, located next to Jai Vilas Palace) in Gwalior and seem distraught at the turn of events. ``Who has benefited from the will?'' demanded a family member. ``Only the Angre's and the Jain's! And what is the sanctity of a will which was written 16 years ago? Many of the people the Rajmata left money for are now dead.''

While the Rajmata's daughters were apparently seeking legal advice and thinking of drafting a press release, the Angre camp was gearing up for executing the will, dividing the precious heirlooms, setting up the foundations and trusts---all per the Rajmata's wishes. Angre, who is a frail 81 years, estimates the Gwalior families wealth, estates and companies may be worth Rs 30,000 crore. ``I have not once but several times walked into the jewelry vault. I have personally helped Rajmata prepare the inventory of all their movable and immovable assets which runs into 500 pages. The fortune left behind by the Rajmata is fantastic.''

Sadly, it is a fortune mired in controversy and an estate drowned in litigation. Sometime in 1980, the Rajmata and Madhavrao Scindia went in for a partial partition of the estate but several suits and counter-suits followed and by 1995, Madhavrao's son had joined the family feud. Under dispute presently is the ownership of the 32-acres belonging to Scindia Potteries in South Delhi, where Dr Jain has also located his studios. Around two years ago, the Rajmata got an offer of Rs 700 crore for the plot of land land and the prospective buyer has reportedly kept a deposit of a crore with the family. There is also 172 acres of mining land (the clay for Scindia Potteries came from here) adjoining Vasant Vihar, which is under acquisition by the Government and which the family claims is worth Rs 300 crore.

But the real treasures, the most prized properties of the family remain in Gwalior as well as far-flung places such as Mumbai and Pune. Dr J K Jain--- who has been allowed to retain his studio land by the Rajmata---says that even till her death, the family was discovering more land, more properties they were oblivious of. ``Just five years ago a lawyer contacted us and told us about some 16 acres of land in Pune. The land was sold for Rs 25 crore but Madhavrao Scindia even challenged that.'' he recalls. ``There is so much property with the family that if they honor Rajmata's will, each family member can earn a revenue of hundreds of crores of rupees.''

It was around 1971, that the Rajmata had converted a large chunk of her estate, which included the Jai Vilas Palace, several outhouses, the land in Delhi and the family's finance company into trusts. In all, 15 trusts were set up with four separate trusts to maintain Jai Vilas alone. Besides this, the family owned vast agricultural land, orchards and practically the entire land in villages like Kanherkhel, Srigonda and Jangaon. There is also the Kalia Deh Palace in Ujjain and several prized properties and apartments in Mumbai.

The Rajmata has left behind copious instructions on the properties should be managed by the Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia Trust, which she set up in 1985 when she wrote her will, and the sprawling Jai Vilas Palace into an Educational Trust. Most complicated are her instructions for maintaining the royal Gwalior jewels. She has left the Gwalior heirlooms for her daughters but has also instructed that they be kept in a vault with the Collector of Gwalior, just like the Baroda family has done. A collection of other priceless pieces are to be displayed as the Scindia jewels in the National Museum and only what remains is to be distributed hald to Madhavrao Scindia and half between her three daughters.

Angre says he will soon be contacting the Baroda Collector and the officials of the National Museum and will abide by each of the late leaders wishes. ``I will be fair to every member of the family but I will not allow illegalities of the sort Madhavrao's son is trying,'' he cautions. ``As far as the girls are concerned, they must remember it was people like me who stood by the Rajmata during her most difficult years. Where were her daughters?''