Vasundhara

New Delhi, Aug. 19: The Scindias of Gwalior are in the thick of a legal battle yet again for the control of two wealthy charitable trusts set up by the late Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia in Mumbai.

The protagonists are Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, the son of the late Madhavrao Scindia, and the three daughters of the Rajmata ? Vasundhara Raje, Yashodhara Raje and Usha Raje. Madhavrao Scindia was the Rajmata’s only son but they fell out.

An application was recently moved on behalf of the three sisters in the Mumbai charity commissioner’s office, claiming that Vasundhara, Usha and Yashodhara were the real trustees of the Krishna Madhav Public Charitable Trust and His Highness Sir Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia Charitable Trust. A similar application was filed on behalf of Jyotiraditya, asking to be named as the real trustee.

At stake are three multi-crore-rupee properties in south Mumbai which are owned by the trusts, set up by Vijayaraje Scindia in 1966. The properties on Warden and Peddar Roads were gifted to her. In 1982, she added the names of her daughters as trustees.

After the Rajmata died in 2001, Madhavrao Scindia, in his capacity as the maharaja of Gwalior, appointed Jyotiraditya as a trustee with two others. A few months later, Madhavrao died in a plane crash.

At present, the trusts are managed by two secretaries. One represents Vasundhara and her sisters and the other, Jyotiraditya.

Asked about the legal battle, Jyotiraditya, seen as a “promising” young leader of the Congress, said: “I do not want to talk on family matters. My father never spoke about family matters in public.” Asked if the dispute would be handled through his lawyers, he said: “Yes.”

Yashodhara, a BJP MLA from Shivpuri (a part of Jyotiraditya’s parliamentary constituency), said: “I will not comment at length. I am sure the matter will play itself out.”

Sources close to the “Vasundhara camp” said Jyotiraditya’s aunts were “not inclined” to accept an out-of-court settlement involving any sort of “compromise”. They quoted the amendments to the Hindu Succession Bill, 2004, unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha last week and expected to be ratified by the Lok Sabha next week.

The bill proposes to remove the gender discriminations in the Hindu Succession Act by giving equal rights to women, including married daughters, to parental property. “The amendments are for everyone to see,” a source said.

Well-wishers of the Scindias feared the litigation could be “long-drawn and messy” because, according to them, the trusts were not the only bones of contention.

“We fear the case will open up a Pandora’s box of fraud, deceit and lies,” said a source.