&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Indian family claims British government owes them over 100-year-old loan – Will UK repay?")
A family in India’s Madhya Pradesh has claimed that the British government owes them a loan of Rs 35,000, which the then administration failed to repay during the First World War in 1917. The family of late businessman Seth Jumma Lal Ruthia has said that they are now exploring legal options to recover the ancestral debt with interest.
Vivek Ruthia, 63, has alleged that his grandfather, Seth Jumma Lal Ruthia, gave a loan of Rs 35,000 in 1917 to W S Dawis, the then political agent in Bhopal under British rule. The family has said that the amount was given to help with the management of administration in Bhopal. However, the money has still not been paid back.
A certificate preserved by the family, dated June 4, 1917, states that Seth Jumma Lal, of the firm Seth Rama Kishan Jaskaran Ruthia, “subscribed Rs 35,000 to the Indian War Loan and thereby showed his loyalty to the Government and Empire.” The document carries the signature of W S Davis, then Political Agent in Bhopal.
Under British rule, Political Agents acted as intermediaries between the British administration and princely states and looked after government matters, ensuring alignment with imperial authority.
Seth Jumma Lal Ruthia passed away in 1937, about 20 years after making the subscription. India gained independence in 1947, and the family maintains that no repayment or settlement was ever made.
Ruthia said that he is now consulting lawyers to explore whether a financial claim linked to a colonial-era Indian War Loan can be pursued against the present-day United Kingdom. Although no legal notice has been issued yet.
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“It’s not just about money, it’s about justice and history,” he said. The original sum of Rs 35,000 could now be worth more than Rs 10 crore after being adjusted for compound interest, inflation or gold prices.
However, legal experts have said that pursuing such a claim would involve significant challenges, including limitation laws, sovereign immunity and jurisdictional complexities. For now, the 1917 certificate remains a historical document in the family’s possession.
