LITIGANTS, LAWYERS AND JUDGES continues...

I had my first taste of continental law in an interesting case, which was pending in a French court where the question at issue was whether an Indian of Kapurthala who had married in France could marry again in Kapurthala. A commission had come for examination of witnesses at Lahore. I examined and cross-examined a number of witnesses in the case. I enjoyed coming to grips with continental and American lawyers raising all kinds of frivolous and technical objections to questions put to the witnesses.

While I was in Srinagar, the Raja of Poonch invited me for legal consultation to Murree. He had been adopted as a son by Maharaja Partap Singh of Kashmir. The Government of India had ruled that so far as the succession to Maharaja Partap Singh as a ruler of the State was concerned, his nephew, Raja Hari Singh, was the rightful heir; but the personal estate of the Maharaja could go to the adopted son. After the death of Maharaja Partap Singh, Raja Hari Singh took possession of all the private assets of the deceased Maharaja. No amount of representations had any affect on him. When I met the Raja of Poonch at Murree in this connection, I gave him such advice as I thought would help him in regaining his patrimony.

Another interesting case that I conducted during this year concerned the Rani of Kutlehar in the District of Kangra. It was given out by her that she had given birth to a son. The collaterals of her husband contested her claim and declared that the child was spurious. This case went on for a long time in the courts. The subordinate Judge decided against the Rani but I succeeded in convincing the High Court that the son was not spurious.

The year 1940 was an auspicious year in which my son, Daya Krishan Mahajan, was married to Mohini, daughter of myoid friend, Dewan Sant Ram, advocate of Gurdaspur. Before the wedding of my son, I had changed my residence from Abbott Road to Egerton Road.

to be continued....