Rájéndramani Dévi and Mukunda Deo (adopted son of Krishna Deo, son of the daughter of Linga Bhúpati mentioned above), who divided the property. Their succession is now disputed in a civil suit brought by one Linga Bhúpati, who says he is the grandson (through an adopted son) of the Rámayya above mentioned. Mukunda Deo died in February 1905, and his widow Chandramani holds his share of the estate.
Meanwhile, in 1882, the account running between the zamindar and the Mahárája of Jeypore had been balanced by a committee appointed by the Collector, and showed that the former owed the latter some Rs. 5,07,000. In 1890 it was agreed that the Mahárája should accept Rs. 3,53,000 in settlement of all his claims and that the repayment of this sum with interest at 4½ per cent, should be secured by the mortgage with possession to the Mahárája of 68 villages of the estate. This mortgage is still running, and the estate is thus divided into two parts, of which one is administered by the Mahárája of Jeypore and the other, which includes the hill villages, by the Mádgole family.
All this litigation, mortgaging and changing of management naturally had the worst possible effect on the administration of the estate, which became a byword for inefficiency. The hold over the hill muttadars maintained by the senior Ráni (Sita) who died in 1901 was most ineffectual; and they quarrelled among one another, bullied their tenants and defied their suzerain until the District Officers were forced to interfere and remove some and punish others. Matters have improved but little since, and it has been necessary to warn the present holders of the estate that they will be held responsible for any trouble that may arise in the hills owing to their unsuitable methods of managing that country.
