Kuno-Palpur fort case: September 19 is the next hearing

|The Times Bureau|

In a petition brought by the Palpur royal family for the return of possession of their fort and property owned by the administration inside Kuno National Park, a court in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh has scheduled September 19 for the next hearing.

The case was heard by an additional district judge (ADJ) Vijaypur on September 10th. Advocate Murli Manohar Parashar, who is representing the Palpur family in court, said that the district administration was urged to respond to their petition and claims by the high court, who sent a letter.

Parashar said that after hearing the matter, the petitioners were advised to approach the local court for proceedings with some directives. What the administration did was in vain, according to the court.

Palpur royals claim to have given their fort and property to lions rather than cheetahs. When Kuno was declared a Gir lion sanctuary, they had to vacate their fortress and 260-bigha pasture. The Palpur royal family's descendants have commenced a court case against the state government to recover their ancestral possessions. The fort is located in the center of Kuno sanctuary, where cheetahs have arrived.

We gave our fortress and land to the government because it was for lions, not cheetahs. Now that it is clear that lions are not coming, we want the government to return them to us, said Shreegopal Deo Singh, a descendant of the family that ruled Kuno-Palpur centuries before.

After the area was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1981, the Palpur royal family, as well as residents of 24 villages nearby, had to vacate the fort Palpur Garhi, which is now a museum. The public works department said in its survey report that the property was over 100 years old and of zero value

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