INDIAN PRINCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 February 1942, Page 4

INDIAN PRINCE

ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS SUSPENDED ALLEGED COMPLICITY IN OFFENCES. ACTION TAKEN BY VICEROY. (By Tc-legraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) NEW DELHI, February 18. The powers of administration of the Maharaja of Rewa have been suspended pending an inquiry into criminal offences in which he is allegedly implicated. An official statement says: “Evidence came into the possession of the Crown representative indicating the complicity of the Maharajah of Rewa in certain criminal offences of so grave a nature that the Viceroy referred the case to a commission of inquiry. It was necessary, to enable the case to be completed for submission to the commission, that a further investigation should be made within the Rewa State. The Viceroy is convinced that such an investigation could not satisfactorily be conducted while the Maharajah of Rewa remains in charge of the administration, or within the State boundaries. Therefore the Viceroy considered that the Maharajah of Rewa should for the time being reside outside the State, and abstain from any interference with the conduct of the inquiry. As the Maharajah indicated his unwillingness to acquiesce, the Viceroy suspended the Maharajah’s powers of administration and deputed a political officer to take temporary charge of Rewa State affairs.”