On a day in 1947 when my father happened to visit Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru at his residence he found him immersed in deep thought and a little worried.
On my father’s asking what was worrying him, he took my father into confidence and told him, "Vishwamitra, in my life I have earned a lot but having lived a lavish life I have also been spending all that I have been earning and I have hardly saved any money.
My worry is that when I die tomorrow all my children and grandchildren would say
'Sale ne itna kamaya lekin sab khud hi kha gaya,hamare liye kuchh bhi nahin chhodha’
(Translation:This scoundrel earned so fabulously but ate away everything himself leaving nothing for us).
Vishwamitra, I have two pieces of land in Delhi which my maternal grandmother had bought for Rs 600 and Rs 400 long time back and which came to me by inheritance.
A colonizer from Delhi saw me a couple of days back and told me that if the Govt. of India gave permission for colonization on those plots he would be prepared to buy them for Rs 18 lacs and Rs 12 lacs. Prime Minister Jawahar Lal is coming to see me day after tomorrow and I will request him to get such permission granted. In that case I would be able to get Rs 30 lacs which will enable me to leave Rs 2 lacs to each of my children and I would be able to die in peace without any fear of my grandchildren abusing me after my death that 'Sale ne itna kamaya lekin Sala sab khud hi kha gaya’.
Sir Tej did make the request to the PM and eventually the permission was granted by the Government and each of his children including my class fellow Brij Narayan Sapru who later became a High Court Judge got cheques of Rs 2 lacs each which was a huge amount in 1948 . Sir Tej thereafter died in peace on 20th January 1949. His last wish was granted.
SHANTI BHUSHAN
FORMER UNION LAW MINISTER & SENIOR ADVOCATE
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
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