Pune court allows Jamadar family permanent possession of Jaystambh land

A court in Pune granted the Jamadar-Malvadkar family permanent possession of the Jaystambh land and surrounding acreage on Friday. The 9.25-acre parcel, located in Perne village on the Pune-Ahilyanagar highway, honors British soldiers who fought the Peshwas in the Battle of Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818. Captain Balasaheb Jamadar-Malvadkar, the sixth descendant of Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar, submitted the original sanad and other documents to prove their claim.

The Jamadar family contends that their eviction would disrupt the annual January 1 visit of lakhs of Ambedkarites, who observe "Shaurya Din" to pay tribute to the soldiers. Despite the suit being dismissed for Captain Jamadar-Malvadkar, the court upheld the claims of the other two family members and decided the case in their favor, restraining the state government from interfering without proper legal procedures.