Royal family demands probe into ex-ruler's missing bust

Vadodara, July 27 (UNI) The scions of the erstwhile Gaekwad royal family in Vadodara have demanded a proper inquiry into the missing bust of former ruler of Baroda State, Maharaja Pratapsinh Gaekwad.

The Maharaja's bust, installed in front of the Pratap Nagar narrow gauge railway station here in December, 1948 by his eldest son and last ruler of Vadodara Fatehsingh Gaekwad, had reportedly gone missing several years ago, but no serious efforts were made till date to trace it.

Meanwhile, Pratapsinh's second son Maharaja Ranjitsinh Gaekwad and his wife Maharani Subhanginiraje had flayed the railways for its failure to trace the missing bust of the former ruler of Vadodara, and demanded an inquiry into the matter.

The royal couple regretted that though they had brought this to the notice of the railway authorities here time-and-again, the latter had neither responded to their queries nor had initiated any action to resolve the mystery behind the disappearance of the statue, a property belonging to the people of Vadodara.

When asked, Vadodara Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) K L Pande said the matter was recently brought to his notice by Maharani Subhanginiraje Gaekwad, during her visit to the Pratap Nagar railway station for a tree plantation programme organised on the occasion of the World Environment Day.

Mr Pande said he had no idea as to when and how the bust of the erstwhile Maharaja of Vadodara went missing. ''Unless a proper inquiry is held, nothing can be said on the matter,'' he said adding that a search had begun but nothing had been traced so far.

UNI SS GK YA KN1755