The Gajapatis of Paralakhemundi
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Contents |
The dynasty
The Times of India, Aug 23 2016
Ashok Pradhan
Scent of royal mystery in Odisha `suicides'
Cursed dynasty that once ruled beyond Odisha
The Gajapatis ruled Odisha for seven centuries.
At its peak, the kingdom ran from Ganga in the north to Udoyagiri in Nellore (now Andhra Pradesh) GopinathGajapati Narayan Deo (74), `Maharaja' of Paralakhemundi, is the grandson of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati, who was instrumental in the creation of Odisha on linguistic grounds
The cursed but huge fortune
At the Centre of controversy: An ailing scion's Rs 500-crore fortune
The wealth of erstwhile Odisha royal GopinathGajapati Narayan Deo -worth Rs 500 crore, by some accounts -has been a talking point in the state for quite some time. However, the extent of his riches assumes a sinister significance when seen in the light of two of his staffers' alleged suicide following allegations that they had tried to snatch his property .
AnangaManjari Patra, the manager of Gajapati's palace at Paralakhemundi, and her brother Sanjay , the elderly former royal's personal assistant, were found dead in mysterious circumstances at their home. They allegedly ended their lives in a suspected suicide pact with two other siblings, who died as well.
The Gajapati Palace is spread over a six-acre plot. The erstwhile Gajapati rulers also own two bungalows and a chocolate factory in Chennai, besides 100 acres of agricultural land in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. They also own land attached to the Jagannath and Satyanarayan temples in Gajapati district.
Many in Paralakhemundi allege that over the past two years, some palace employees took advantage of Gajapati's poor health and connived to dispose of the family's land across Odisha. They claim that as part of the conspiracy , several plots had been sold at throwaway prices. “Since 2014, the king had been living in Paralakhemundi with his staff,“ said MLA K Surya Rao, who heads Maharaja Suraksha Committee, a forum of citizens formed to safeguard royal properties.
On August 14, the committee got an FIR filed against Ananga and some other employees for allegedly trying to grab the royals' property .Many say Ananga virtually controlled Gajapati's life.
Gajapati has hardly kept in touch with family members since his son, Digvijay , died under mysterious circumstances in 2015. Many insiders believe Digvijay killed himself. Incidentally, Gajapati's father Ramachandra had committed suicide in the palace in the 1950s.
Kalyani (32), Gajapati's spinster daughter, is now his only heir. She lives in a 8,000sqft apartment in Chen nai. Gajapati's brother SarbajganJagannathDeo is fighting a court case against him over the family's property. Udayabhanu, another brother, died some years ago.
Ananga,the manager
THE MANAGER WHO KNEW TOO MUCH?
AnangaManjari Patra (53) manager, reportedly kept Krushna Chandra has been accused of confining track of everything in palace became first prime minister the ailing Gajapati in the of Odisha in 1937 Three siblings also died palace to usurp his property with Ananga in what is Gopinath's father Allegedly disallowed suspected to be a Ramachandra Deo relatives, public from meeting suicide pact. All of committed suicide the erstwhile king them lived together, His only son Digvijay, She joined palace staff as were unmarried who was looking after the a stenographer in 1984 Brother Sanjay family's chocolate factory Patra (45) was in Chennai, was found dead Became Gajapati's personal assistant Gajapati's there in September 2015 personal when he debuted as Daughter Kalyani, a Lok Sabha member assistant spinster, stays in Chennai in 1989 No clear heir to title or As Gajapati's property worth Rs 500 cr
Aug 2016: Death and intrigue
SIX DAYS THAT SHOOK PARALAKHEMUNDI
Aug 14 2016: People gather outside the Gajapati
Aug 18 Daughter Kalyani writes to CM Naveen palace amid reports of Gopinath's deteriorating Patnaik, seeks probe into all transactions of the health and his alleged confinement by palace over the past 30 years attendants. Odisha govt shifts him to Vizag
Aug 21 Bodies of Ananga, brother Sanjay Aug 15 State govt sends ailing `king' to Patra and sister Bijaylaxmi found at her home, Chennai amid growing public outcry half a kilometre from the palace
Aug 22 Another sibling, Santosh, who was local MLA, stage dharna in front of the palace, found in a critical condition at Ananga's house, demand Ananga's arrest dies in hospital
Ananga Manjari Patra
The Times of India, Aug 23 2016
Hrusikesh Mohanty The government of Independent India may have taken away their titles and much of their sprawling estates, but members of the country's erstwhile royalty still seem to possess a hint of the old-world intrigue and scandal that pervaded the courts of yore. The dramatic rise of Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo's manager Ananga Manjari Patra in Gajapati Palace, and her mysterious death in an alleged suicide pact with three of her siblings last week, could well be one of the chapters of such palace intrigues.
Ananga, who joined the palace staff as a steno in 1984, had become a power centre by 1989, when Gopinath Gajapati made his debut as a Lok Sabha member by winning from Berhampur on a Congress ticket. Gajapati won again in 1991.
“Ananga was the most trusted and influential per son. Gajapati sought her opinion on every matter. If anyone approached him with a problem, he referred the matter to her,“ a palace staffer said.
But Ananga's role in the palace came under public scrutiny after Gajapati fell ill a year ago, soon after his son died mysteriously in Chennai. Gajapati's younger brother Jagannath Narayan Deo, with whom he is engaged in a legal battle over property , has alleged that Ananga blocked his way when he went to see the erstwhile king in the palace about 10 days ago.
Jagannath reportedly met some locals, and soon a rumour took root that Gajapati was seriously ill and his palace staff out to grab his property . On August 14, several residents of Paralakhe mundi, where the palace is located, forcibly entered the premises and sought the district administration's intervention in the matter.
Maharaja Suraksha Committee, a local organisation set up to safeguard royal properties, led an agitation against Ananga and got an FIR registered against her and other palace staffers. Members of the committee, which is headed by headed by Congress MLA K Surya Rao, also met Gajapati, who was unable to speak. He responded to their queries by just waving his hands.
Ananga had refuted all allegations of conspiracy . She claimed that Gajapati had been in depression since the death of his son in 2015, and said she was looking after his work in this period.
