Court summons ex-princesses over property row

KATHMANDU: The property row over the ex-royal family has reached the floor of the court.

The Kathmandu District Court (KDC) today issued summons to ex-princesses to attend the court in order to defend the case filed against them over a disputed ex-royal family’s property.

The KDC has issued the judicial summons to ex-princesses - Puja Rajya Laxmi Shahi, Sitashma Rajya Laxmi Shah and Dilasha Rajya Laxmi Rana- to present before the court as defendants. Mahendra Nath Upadhyay, Registrar, KDC, said the court has issued notices addressing the defendants to be present at the court within 30 days.

“They have to submit their responses within 30 days,” he said. The former princesses, however, do not require attending physically but could defend their cases through their attorneys.

The court was responding to a property dispute filed by then prince Dhirendra Shah’s second wife Jaya Shah Pandey on Tuesday. The ex-princesses are the step daughters of the plaintiff and are being accused of depriving her a share of the property. Pandey has alleged that the respondents divided the parental property only among themselves, depriving her of a share.