PIL on custody of Mysuru throne and howdah dismissed

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) which questioned the custody of the golden throne and the golden howdah that is housed inside the Mysuru Palace and are used during the Dasara.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice S K Mukherjee and Justice B V Nagarathna passed an order stating that it is left to the wisdom of the State government to decide on the possession of the throne and the howdah and the court would not like to interfere in the matter.

The petitioner, Prof P V Nanjaraja Urs, a retired professor from Mysore University has questioned the honorarium or the royalty paid to Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, wife of the late Srikantadatta Wadiyar by the State government.

The petitioner has contended that though the Mysore Palace (Acquisition and Transfer) Act, 1998 is in force and that the State had taken possession and custody of the Mysuru Palace in 1978, the government is still paying royalty to Pramoda Devi Wadiyar.

The Department of Kannada and Culture has paid the scion of Mysuru royal family Rs 20 lakh in 2012, Rs 25 lakh in 2013 and Rs 30 lakh each in 2014 and 2015.  The bench dismissed the petition.