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International
UK Debt Office Finds No Proof of 1917 Indian War Loan, Family Seeks Repayment
✍️ TOI City
🗓 20 Oct 2026, 07:38 AM
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The UK Debt Management Office has confirmed it found no evidence that a 1917 Indian War Loan, in which a Bhopal merchant invested Rs 35,000, was a British government obligation. A family from Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, holding the century‑old certificate, is demanding repayment, estimating its value at several crores today.
The UK Debt Management Office (DMO) released a statement this week confirming that it could find no evidence that a 1917 Indian War Loan, in which a Bhopal merchant invested Rs 35,000, was a legitimate obligation of the British government.
The loan, dated 1917, was part of a series of wartime financing arrangements that the UK government entered into with Indian investors. The Sehore family, who inherited the original certificate, argues that the loan should have been repaid and that its current value could be worth several crores of rupees.
While the DMO acknowledged the existence of the certificate, it did not confirm whether the loan was ever repaid or whether the British government had any legal responsibility to settle it. The family has requested a formal account of the repayment status.
The case highlights the lingering financial claims that trace back to colonial-era agreements and raises questions about how such historic debts are handled by modern governments.
The loan, dated 1917, was part of a series of wartime financing arrangements that the UK government entered into with Indian investors. The Sehore family, who inherited the original certificate, argues that the loan should have been repaid and that its current value could be worth several crores of rupees.
While the DMO acknowledged the existence of the certificate, it did not confirm whether the loan was ever repaid or whether the British government had any legal responsibility to settle it. The family has requested a formal account of the repayment status.
The case highlights the lingering financial claims that trace back to colonial-era agreements and raises questions about how such historic debts are handled by modern governments.