PATIALA – The erstwhile Nabha king’s palace has been sold courtesy Punjab Revenue Department officials, who have allegedly tampered records and accepted kickbacks running into lakhs to pass off ‘Hira Mahal’ as private property and allowed it to change hands.
Maharaja Partap Singh’s historic legacy in Nabha, estimated to be worth crores, was illegally transferred to certain individuals in alleged connivance with Revenue Department officials and a local lawyer on February 18, 2010. The officials allegedly forged some documents and altered the property’s khasra numbers to effect the deal.The police have registered a case of cheating and conspiracy against 10 persons, including royal scion Tikka Hanuwant Singh and unidentified Revenue Department officials. “We have booked Hanuwant Singh for conniving with the accused. We will surely arrest him to ascertain his role in the case. We are probing whether some ancient royal artefacts are missing from the palace,” Patiala SSP Hardyal Mann said.The police have arrested two individuals — Omparkash Jindal and Vikas Jindal — while others are evading arrest. “Even the Nishan Sahib installed inside Hira Mahal has been removed to ensure there is no religious opposition to this illegal takeover of the erstwhile royal property,” the police said.
