New Delhi: From how a State Bank of India official was tricked into paying Rs 60 lakh to a caller pretending to be the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to tales of a haunted courtroom and a secret tunnel built during British era , Patiala House court complex has — over its nearly 100-year-old heritage — been a part of many significant events that remain largely unknown to the public. Renowned writer and poet Amrita Pritam, too, briefly resided there in 1949. Originally intended as a residence for royal princes visiting Delhi to pay homage to British Emperor during Delhi Durbar, the palace was handed over to British govt within a year of its construction in 1938 to serve as a war office until the end of World War II.
During this period, the building witnessed visits from prominent leaders of Indian Freedom Movement, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, G B Pant and Jagjivan Ram, who frequently interacted with Maharaja of Patiala. These fascinating details are featured in a book that traces the history of Patiala House, authored by former Delhi High Court judge Poonam A Bamba. It follows the 100-year journey of Patiala House, from its beginnings as a plot of land allocated by the colonial British govt to the royal family of Patiala in the 1920s to its current role as a seat of justice.
Speaking to TOI, Justice Bamba explained that she became interested in the subject during her two-year tenure as the district judge of Patiala House, where she had the opportunity to closely observe th.
