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THE TRUE TRAGIC STORY

                        Bhawal Case is a renowned case in Indian History. It is an extraordinary true tragic story. I want to draw your attention by introducing Ramendra Narayan Roy, popularly known as Bhawal Sannyasi in India.

Ramendra Narayan Roy was the second prince of Bhawal Estate, a large zaminder in Bengal, in modern-day Bangladesh. He was one of the brothers who had inherited part of the huge estate from their father.
This, second Kumar of Bhawal, had passion to spend most of his time in hunting. He also liked spending time with women. At this point of time, he was married to younger and beautiful Bibhabati Devi.

In the year of 1905, he had contracted syphilis. In 1909 he went to Darjeeling , accompanied by his wife Bhibhabati Devi and her brother Satyendranath Banerjee to seek treatment but was reported to dead on 7^th May at the age of 25.
The reported cause of death was biliary colic (stones in gall bladder). His body was supposedly cremated/ burned in Darjeeling the next day and customary funerary rites were performed on the same day.
His young wife Bibhabati Debi moved on to Dhaka to live with her brother Satyen Banerjee. Over the next ten years the other Bhawal Estate Kumars also died and the colonial British court of wards took control of the estate on behalf of their widows. 

After 11 years…..
A sannyasi appeared in Buckland Bund in Dhaka covered in ashes.
He sat on the street for four months and attracted attention because he was of unusually similarity with second kumar. A rumor had been spread that the 2^nd Kumar had returned though he said he had renounced his family.
The Sannyasi under public pressure, finally disclosed openly that he was Ramendranarayan Roy, the Kumar of Bhawal. The Sannyasi claimed that while in Darjeeling he was poisoned and a cremation was attempted. But the people hired to cremate the body of Kumar, left him un-cremated because a strong hailstorm had started raging at that time.
A group of naga Sannyasi found him lying unconscious and they took him to their den. At that time he was being taken care by them. Gradually they realized that he had lost his memory. He wandered in undivided India for the next 10 years. While returning from the place from Chittagong to Dhaka, he recovered his memory and was instructed by his Mentor (guru) to return home.

 The Sannyasi was recognized by the people of his locality and by his own sister. His wife Bibhabati Debi declined to recognize him and announced him as an imposter. Bibhabati Debi thus filed a petition against him.
The first trial, Srimati Bibhabati Devi V. Kumar Ramendra Narayan Roy and others AIR 1942 Cal 498, was supported by the sister & elder sister-in-law of the said Kumar. It was a declaratory suit in Dhaka claiming the name and property of Ramendra Narayan Ray against Bibhabati Debi and other landholders who were represented by the Court of wards.
In court the Sannaysi declared that he fell victim to a conspiracy hatched by his brother-in-law Satyendranath Banerjee, an unemployed graduate, who wanted to control his share of the estate through his childless sister. He further claimed that Satyendranath had bribed the family physician Ashutosh Dasgupta to admit that the Kumar was suffering from syphilis, and was persuaded by the conspirators to go for treatment to Darjeeling, here they all lodged at a house called "Step Aside," close to the funeral ground.

Eventually, Bibhabati tried to manipulate a lot of witnesses by giving them bribe, but she was failure to control the trial.
Calcutta High Court gave its final judgment in favor of the Kumar/ Sannyasi.
Thereafter, the claimant (the Sannyasi) moved to the estate but the Board of Revenue did not release any funds to him. The government filed an appeal against the judgment of the Calcutta High Court, again in the name of the Court of Wards.

Ultimately, judgment of first trial was supported in this trial and appeal was dismissed. The claimant was allowed to withdraw money from his share of the estate. He still left this share in the care of the Court of Wards until further developments. Bibhabati Debi was not ready to give up this matter. Developments of the war delayed further appeals, when lawyers for Bibhabati Debi filed appeal for a leave against the judgment of the High Court of Privy Council in London.  Here also judgment was in favor of claimant and appeal was dismissed.

It is a tragic story that Ramendra Narayan Roy’s wife was tried for attempt to murder of her husband. His wife’s brother planned out a conspiracy to take over all the estate through her childless sister and enjoy the same. Here Mrs. Bibhabati Debi was used by his brother as a puppet.
From the above we would like to point out few things….
For people who estate, money may become a threat to life. To avoid conspiracies, make your Will now.


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Author: Shreya Nandi (Legal Executive Officer)
This blog is informative in nature. Please do not consider this blog as the legal advice. For any legal assistance, please do contact us at www.dilsewill.com or call us 033 4006 9589.