The dead body of Prince Riaz Oudh, was discovered on September 3, three days after he was suspected dead. There was no evidence of foul play as per the police. The last prince of Oudh (also known as Awadh) was forgotten as he lived and laid to rest without anyone’s notice.
With his demise, the story of 700-year-old Macha Mahal came to an end. His sister, Sakina, had died a few months ago and their mother, the Begum of Oudh had poisoned herself in 1993.
The dilapidated condition of Malcha Mahal and fall of this Royal family is evident through; no electricity, no doors, no windows and no water in Mahal.
Begum Oudh, who had once owned Malcha Mahal since May 1985, stayed at VIP lounge at New Delhi railway station with a decreasing stock of antiques and cruel loyals.
She was allotted Malcha Mahal and an insignificant monthly allowance of Rs 500 in exchange for her battle with the government that she fought for their ancestral property in Lucknow.
During an interview with The Indian Express in 1997, the Prince had mentioned his sister’s distress since their mother died, as she was being suicidal. “My sister is in deep distress and since the Begum died, (she) has been wearing black. She has not combed her hair even once.”
Begum Oudh had died by consuming crushed diamonds, extracted from ornaments she never wore, the Prince said.
When the Prince was not seen for sometime according to Nagaland police team that was posted at the scene, the Police got notified: “The prince was living in a pitiable condition. He used to ask people for food and one person from the locality would feed him. The prince would wander near the forested areas in Chanakyapuri and, for the past two-three days, there was no movement which was suspicious. When we looked into the matter, we found that he was lying on the floor inside his house on September 3,” said a senior police officer.
There was no injury on his body and he was taken to RML hospital for post-mortem. Police claimed he died of natural causes.
The Police contacted locals, they were informed that a distant relative from Aligarh would occasionally visit him. Police also found three mobile phone numbers of family members that were reportedly switched off.
After police informed the Waqf board, Prince Riaz Oudh was laid to rest on September 5 at the burial grounds near ITO.
The article was published by The Indian Express and has been edited by Siasat staff.