A Delhi court has ordered the attachment of Delhi's iconic Bikaner House following the Rajasthan administration's failure to pay an arbitral award of ₹50.31 lakh to a company.

District Judge Vidya Prakash, while issuing the attachment order, observed that the 2020 arbitral award in favor of Enviro Infra Engineers Private Limited had attained finality, as an appeal filed by the Nagar Palika was dismissed earlier this year.

"Keeping in view the fact that the Judgement Debtor (JD) had failed to comply with the direction for furnishing an affidavit of their assets despite grant of repeated opportunities, the court, while agreeing with the submissions made on behalf of the decree holder (DH), finds it a fit case for issuance of warrants of attachment against immovable property of JD namely Bikaner House, New Delhi," the judge said, according to news agency PTI.

The court has restrained the Nagar Palika of Nokha, Rajasthan, which owns Bikaner House, from transferring or encumbering the property through sale, gift, or other means. It also directed a representative of the Nagar Palika to appear before the court on November 29, the next hearing date. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government assured that it would take immediate action regarding the matter. 

Bikaner House, a Grade II heritage building designed as the residence of the Rajput rulers of Bikaner, stands as a testament to regal grandeur. Constructed during the Delhi Durbar of 1911, when King George V announced Delhi as the new capital of British India, it served as a royal abode with reception suites, private rooms, and a zenana (women's quarters). Post-independence, it hosted crucial meetings of Indian royal families, where they deliberated their accession to independent India. Restored to its original elegance, Bikaner House was opened to the public on November 18, 2015, showcasing its historical and architectural significance.