Royal family feud, a petrol pump, proposed resort: Behind shooting at Madhya Pradesh’s Parsmania Garhi fort

The princely state of Nagod in Madhya Pradesh formally disappeared in 1950 when its ruler signed the Instrument of Accession. But while the kingdom vanished from India’s political map, the family that once ruled it did not. Stripped of sovereignty but not of land, property or influence, the former royals reinvented themselves as one of the most prominent landed and political families in the Vindhya region of central India.

The forces pulling the family apart are not entirely unfamiliar. As in earlier chapters of the dynasty’s history, disputes over property, succession and control of family assets lay at the heart of the conflict, turning private disagreements into a bitter feud, The Indian Express has learnt.

The dispute spilled into public view on June 11, when Yogita Singh, the estranged wife of Rupendra Kumar Singh, was shot in the abdomen during a confrontation at the family’s Parsmania Garhi fort in Satna district. Police have arrested Sunita Singh Parihar, who allegedly fired the .22-bore rifle used in the shooting. Yogita’s family alleges that Parihar shared a close personal relationship with Singh, a claim that Singh’s representatives reject, describing her instead as a long-time business partner and investor in several family ventures.

Behind the criminal investigation lies a dispute that family members say had been building for years. At issue were not only a marriage that had broken down, but also disagreements over the management of a petrol pump, a proposed resort project inside the family fort and the future control of assets associated with one of the Vindhya region’s most prominent former royal households.

Rupendra Kumar Singh

Power couple

At the centre of the dispute is Rupendra Singh, popularly known as Baba Raja, a member of the Nagod royal family and a relative of a sitting BJP MLA. The son of Kantidev Singh, Rupendra has long managed the family’s affairs at Parsmania Garhi, a sprawling fort estate near Unchehra that remains one of the most visible symbols of the family’s continuing influence.

For much of the last two decades, Yogita Singh occupied the position of recognised daughter-in-law of the household. Belonging to a prominent family of Udaipur in Rajasthan, she married Rupendra Singh in 2000, later served as sarpanch of Parsmania panchayat and is the mother of the couple’s only son, Prithudev Singh.

Sunita Parihar’s entry into the family’s affairs came much later. Originally from Umri village in Satna district, Parihar first became associated with social work and NGO activities in the Parsmania area before entering Rupendra Singh’s business circle.

Sunita Singh Parihar

Business interests

According to a representative of Rupendra Singh, Parihar had been associated with him since 2016 and was involved in several commercial ventures. “She is not only a working partner but also a financial partner in multiple ventures. She has invested money in businesses connected to him, including the petrol pump and the proposed resort project at Parsmania Garhi,” the representative told The Indian Express.

The petrol pump emerged as one of the central points of conflict.

According to the representative, the proprietorship of the outlet remained with Yogita Singh, but disputes arose over its management and operation.

“The proprietorship of the petrol pump remained with Yogita Singh, but there were disputes regarding its operation and management. Those disagreements became one of the recurring issues between the parties,” Rupendra Singh’s representative said.

The representative said Parihar had played an active role in the business and had invested in it financially. He also said operations at the outlet had been suspended for a period before being restored.

The disagreement extended beyond the fuel station. Discussions were also underway regarding the commercial development of Parsmania Garhi itself. Family members and people familiar with the matter say “parts of the fort were being considered for conversion into a hospitality venture”. According to Rupendra Singh’s representative, Parihar was also an investor in the proposed resort project.

The confrontation

By 2024, the marriage between Rupendra and Yogita Singh had entered a legal phase of separation.

“They are not divorced, but Rupendra Singh filed for separation in 2024. For some time before the incident, Yogita Singh was not residing with him and was staying separately. There had been longstanding differences between them and several disputes arising out of the separation,” the representative said.

The confrontation on June 11 unfolded against that backdrop.

In an FIR registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Rupendra Singh, he alleged that his brother-in-law, Nagendra Singh Rathore, and two others assaulted him using broken glass, pieces of a chandelier cover and a steel bottle. He claimed injuries to multiple parts of his body and alleged that he was threatened before the men left. Those allegations are being investigated.

An FIR based on a complaint from Yogita Singh’s side alleges that she was shot at during the confrontation. Parihar was subsequently arrested and sent to judicial custody.

The dispute was also shaped by the position of Prithudev Singh, the couple’s only son. Several people familiar with the family described him as the next-generation heir to Rupendra Singh’s branch of the household. One member of the extended family said that even after relations between Rupendra and Yogita deteriorated, discussions surrounding Prithudev’s future remained central to interactions between the two sides.

Said a member from the royal family, “The couple (Rupendra and Yogita) last time met at a family function in Jaipur, where Rupendra Singh said he could not live with her, but allayed all fears that their son would not inherit the property. However, that did not help.”

Yogita Singh’s family rejects the suggestion that the dispute was confined to business disagreements. Family members allege that Parihar’s growing role in the affairs of Parsmania Garhi, her involvement in businesses linked to the estate and her presence at the fort had been a source of tension for several years. They contend that the “conflict gradually widened from a marital dispute into a broader disagreement over influence, access and decision-making within the household”.

Police say they are proceeding cautiously. “These are all aspects that will be investigated if such statements come before police. At present, our primary focus is on the shooting incident and the offences arising out of it,” Additional Superintendent of Police Prem Lal Kurwe told The Indian Express.