Practising Law at Gurdaspur continues....

The last big case in which I was engaged at Gurdaspur was of the leading Sehgal family of Lahore, This was a case of partition of joint family property amongst the four sons of Rai Bahadur. Buta Mal, who had retired as District judge and lived in a palatial house on Nisbet Road, Lahore. He had four sons: Mul Chand retired as a District judge during the case; Lala Kanshi Ram was a leading lawyer at Ferozepur; Rai Sahib Shankar Das was a tehsildar, and the fourth son, Lala Behari Lal, managed the family lands and the ginning factory at Kot Radhakishen. The case was transferred from Lahore to Gurdaspur. Ganga Ram Wadhwa was the first Senior Sub-judge who heard the case. He was followed by E. T. Bhan who was succeeded by Anderson. The brothers fought like enraged bulls in Court. I was engaged by Lala Bihari Lala along with Dewan Sant Ram and Dewan Mehr Chand. Rai Sahab Shankar Das was represented by Sardar Iqbal Singh from Lyallpur and some local lawyers. Shankar Das claimed that the property acquired by Lala Kanshi Ram through his law practice was a part of the joint family property. Behari Lal claimed the factory as his own. Each one wanted to get as much as he could. Most of the claimants died during the course of the litigation. When I shifted to Lahore, the case was also transferred to Lahore and several judges tried it. Whenever the case came there was an uproar in the court and it could make no progress for years till Rai Bahadur Rangi Lal was appointed special Senior Sub-judge to try it. He decided against Behari Lal’s contentions and also against the pleas of the other brothers. Ultimately it went to the High Court. Some aspects of the case were still pending when I became a judge. I have never seen a more bitterly fought out litigation between brothers, all educated and so well to do.

to be continued...

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publication)