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Time of India
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Saif Ali Khan loses legal ground —What's next for the royal inheritance fight? Details inside
In a big setback for and his family, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has overturned a decades-old order that once secured their claim over the royal properties of Bhopal. For years, Saif, along with his mother and sisters Soha and Saba, were legally recognized as rightful heirs to these sprawling ancestral estates. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now But that status has now been thrown into uncertainty. The family has long laid claim to an impressive collection of properties passed down from the Nawab of Bhopal. These include some of the city's most valuable landmarks, like the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace Hotel, Saif's childhood home Flag Staff House, and thousands of acres of surrounding land. For nearly 25 years, a trial court ruling had upheld their ownership. But with this new decision, everything is back on the table. What exactly has the High Court decided? According to News18, the High Court's ruling has erased the earlier judgment that validated the Pataudi family's ownership. Justice Sanjay Dwivedi has sent the case back to the trial court, instructing it to review all the claims again and finish the proceedings within a year. Until a new verdict comes out, Saif and his family can't officially call these properties their own. This dispute isn't just about rival family claims. It also involves the Enemy Property Act of 1968, which allows the government to seize property belonging to those who migrated to Pakistan after Partition. In 2015, the Enemy Property Department began questioning whether the Pataudi family ever had the right to inherit what some officials argue should have been classified as 'enemy property.' Saif has been fighting that investigation ever since. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now What is the root of the dispute? To understand the controversy, you have to go back to Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal. He had three daughters: Abida Sultan, Sajida Sultan, and Rabia Sultan. Under the Bhopal Succession to the Throne Act of 1947, his eldest daughter, Abida, was supposed to inherit everything. But in 1950, Abida moved to Pakistan—ten years before her father passed away. That move technically meant her inheritance could be seized under the Enemy Property Act. Even so, Sajida Sultan—Saif's grandmother—was declared the legal successor. Many believe her marriage to Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his close ties to then-Prime Minister helped secure her claim to the estate. What happens next? With the High Court wiping the legal slate clean, the district court will now re-examine every detail of the case. The ruling has reignited old tensions within the Nawab's family and cast fresh scrutiny on how politics shaped royal succession in newly independent India. Until the court reaches a new decision, the Pataudi family's hold over the Bhopal estate remains in legal limbo.
News18
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Saif Ali Khan's Royal Property Claim Worth Rs 15000 Crore In Jeopardy: 5 Key Questions Answered
Last Updated: The decision has reignited a complex legal battle rooted in princely succession laws, post-Partition migration, and the controversial Enemy Property Act. Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan's claim to a sprawling ₹15,000 crore ancestral estate in Bhopal has hit a major legal roadblock. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has quashed a decades-old ruling that had earlier validated the Pataudi family's ownership of the royal properties inherited from the Nawab of Bhopal. The decision has reignited a complex legal battle rooted in princely succession laws, post-Partition migration, and the controversial Enemy Property Act. Here's what the case is about, and what the latest developments — five key questions answered: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, along with his mother and two sisters, has been staking claim to a sprawling set of ancestral properties inherited from the erstwhile Nawab of Bhopal. These include high-value assets such as Noor-Us-Sabah Palace Hotel, Flag Staff House, and thousands of acres in and around Bhopal. The legitimacy of this claim, upheld by a trial court nearly 25 years ago, has now been thrown into question. What Has the Madhya Pradesh High Court Ruled? In a significant blow to the Pataudi family, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has overturned the 25-year-old order that validated their ownership of the Bhopal royal estate. Justice Sanjay Dwivedi has directed that the case be heard afresh by the trial court, with a mandate to resolve the matter within a year. Until then, Saif and his family cannot claim legal ownership of the properties. The challenge stems from both legal heirs of the Nawab's family and the Enemy Property Act, 1968. The latter empowers the government to seize properties of individuals who migrated to Pakistan after Partition. In 2015, the Enemy Property Department initiated an inquiry into how the Pataudi family was allowed to inherit what some allege should have been classified as 'enemy property." Saif Ali Khan had contested this probe. Who Were the Original Heirs and Why Is There a Dispute? The dispute traces back to Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal, who had three daughters—Abida Sultan, Sajida Sultan, and Rabia Sultan. As per the Bhopal Succession to the Throne Act, 1947, the eldest child was the rightful heir. But Abida Sultan migrated to Pakistan in 1950, ten years before the Nawab's death. Technically, that made the property liable for seizure under the Enemy Property Act. However, Sajida Sultan—Saif's grandmother—was declared the legal successor, reportedly due to her marriage to Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his close ties with then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. What Happens Next? With the High Court order wiping the legal slate clean, a district court will now re-examine the ownership claims in detail. The case reopens the long-standing rift within the Nawab family and brings fresh scrutiny to the political influence that shaped the royal succession in post-Independence India. Until a new verdict is reached, the Pataudi family's claim to the Bhopal estate remains legally unrecognized. First Published: July 07, 2025, 09:25 IST
The Print
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Saif Ali Khan will get only 2-3% share of Bhopal property, says lawyer who represented family
The properties originally belonged to Hamidullah Khan, Saif's great-grandfather and the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal. They include thousands of acres of land in and around Bhopal as well as estates such as Flag Staff House, Noor-Us-Sabah Palace Hotel, Dar-Us-Salam, and Ahmedabad Palace. 'After this order, Saif Ali Khan and his family—his two sisters and mother—cannot claim ownership over the Bhopal property. The court will now decide, after hearing all parties, what share, if any, they are entitled to,' said senior advocate Jagdish Chavan, who has represented Mansoor Ali Khan, Saif's father, in the past. New Delhi: In a major setback for Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and his family, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a 25-year-old trial court order that upheld the family as the rightful owners of properties inherited from the erstwhile Nawab of the Bhopal princely state. Justice Sanjay Dwivedi has also directed the trial court to begin fresh proceedings, instructing that the matter be resolved within a year. In 2015, the Enemy Property Department launched an inquiry into the transfer of Bhopal royal assets to the Pataudi family. A complaint alleged that the Nawab's property should have been classified as 'enemy property' but was instead recognised as private, allegedly due to the family's political connections. Saif Ali Khan had challenged the inquiry. Under the Enemy Property Act, 1968, the government is empowered to seize the properties of individuals who migrated to Pakistan after Partition. The Madhya Pradesh High Court intervention comes two decades after the district court's order was challenged by other heirs of Nawab Hamidullah in 2000. Rift in the family On 30 April 1949, the princely state of Bhopal merged with the Union of India. During the merger, it was agreed that the Nawab's personal property would be of their absolute ownership and that the succession of the Gaddi (throne) would be governed by the Bhopal Succession to the Throne Act, 1947. Hamidullah Khan had two wives, Maimoona Sultan and Aftab Jahan. The senior Begum, Maimoona Sultan, had three daughters: Abida Sultan, Sajida Sultan, and Rabia Sultan. Advocate Chavan, who has been following the case closely, said that as per the Bhopal Succession to the Throne Act, the property would go to the eldest son. But in case of no male heir, the throne and the property would go to the eldest daughter, who was Abida Sultan. But Abida migrated to Pakistan 10 years before the death of the Nawab in February 1960. 'If one goes by the succession act, Abida was the successor. But she was a resident of Pakistan and hence, the property would have simply been declared as enemy property,' Chavan said. But friendship and influence saved the day for Sajida Sultan. 'At the time, Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister and shared a friendship with Iftikhar Ali Khan, the grandfather of Saif Ali Khan. So, a year after the death of Nawab Hamidullah Khan, his second daughter, Sajida Sultan—after Abida Sultan—was made the successor. Sajida was married to Iftikhar,' said the advocate, who added that he knew the case like the back of his hand. As Sajida Sultan was made the successor, she retained the Nawab title and the Bhopal properties. However, in the 1970s, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished the privy purse—a payment made to the ruling families of former princely states as part of the merger—and discontinued royal titles. And the family's internal rift came out into the open. Also read: 1 Nawab, 3 daughters. Why prime real estate Saif Ali Khan inherited was declared 'enemy property' The wrong precedent After Sajida Sultan was made the successor following the Nawab's death, the other heirs were disappointed. However, since all of them were receiving the privy purse, the matter never escalated, said advocate Chavan. 'But after the privy purse was discontinued, Maimoona Sultan and the third child, Rabiya Sultan, filed a partition suit and sought a rendition of accounts of the Nawab's property in the district court. They demanded partition under Muslim Personal Law (Shariat). This was in 1971,' Chavan said. Another suit was filed by the family of Nawab Hamdullah Khan's elder brother, Obaidullah Khan, who also received privy purses. In February 2000, the district court in Bhopal pronounced a judgment on both the suits. 'As per the judgment, according to Bhopal Throne Succession Act, 1947, and Notification of the Government of India, Sajida Sultan remained the successor of the entire property of Hamidullah Khan and no partition based on Muslim law was recognised,' said Chavan. In its 2000 order, the district court had relied on a now-overruled precedent set by the Talat Fatima Hasan case, also known as the State of Rampur case. Rampur was the first princely state to accede to India under Nawab Raza Ali in 1949. The case involved a five-decade-long dispute over the inheritance of the Nawab of Rampur's properties, worth Rs 2,650 crore. It ultimately resulted in the property being divided among all legal heirs, including women, in accordance with the Shariat law. 'The grounds for the 2000 district court order in the Bhopal royal property dispute became null and void, as the State of Rampur precedent no longer held,' said Chavan. The High Court has now ordered a fresh trial, keeping in view the evolving legal realities of the case. 'Saif Ali Khan, by my calculation, will receive only 2 to 3 per cent of the Nawab's property,' Chavan said. 'The family isn't left with much legal recourse now.' (Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
