Madhya Pradesh High Court in a landmark judgment has lifted the restraining order imposed on the assets of the Pataudi family since 2015. The decision paved the way for these properties to be taken under the control of the government under the “Enemy Property Act, of 1968”. These properties, worth around Rs 15,000 crore, are linked to the Pataudi family, which is associated with Bollywood. The actor hails from Saif Ali Khan’s family. It should be noted that the value of these properties is approximately 1 billion 83 million dollars in US dollars, while it is 512 billion 20 million in Pakistani rupees.
According to Indian Media, the properties that will be affected due to the High Court’s decision are:
- Flagstaff House: Saif Ali Khan’s childhood residence
- Noor Al Sabah Palace
- Dar es Salaam Bungalow
- Bungalow of Habibi
- Ahmedabad Palace
- Koh-e-Fiza Property
Apart from them, other properties may also be affected by this decision. Justice Vivek Aggarwal, while giving the order, said that there is an avenue for litigation under the amendment of the Hostile Property Act, 2017. The court directed the parties concerned to file representations within 30 days. The court further said, “If the representations are filed within 30 days, the appellate authority shall decide the matter on merits and the time limit shall be complied with.” will not be taken into account.” The Enemy Property Act allows the government to claim properties owned by individuals who have migrated to Pakistan or China.
It may be noted that the last Nawab of Bhopal, Hameedullah Khan, had 3 daughters, the eldest of whom was Abida Sultan, who migrated to Pakistan in 1950. She was the mother of former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nawab Shehryar Khan. Due to his migration, his younger sister Sajida Sultan was entitled to the properties as she remained in India. She was married to Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan of Patudi. His grandson is Saif Ali Khan who inherited from his grandmother. However, due to the migration of elder sister Abida Sultan, the Indian government filed a claim to declare these properties as enemy property.
According to the report, in 2019, the court recognized younger sister Sajida Sultan as the legal heir of Bhopal state, but the recent decision is rekindling the controversy. Bhopal Collector Kaushalinder Vikram Singh has announced that the 72-year-old ownership records of these properties will be reviewed. Persons living in these properties may potentially be considered tenants under the state’s tenancy laws.
The government’s claim has thrown the 150,000 people living on these properties into panic who fear possible eviction. The people living on these properties do not have a registry but the entire registry is in the name of Nawab of Bhopal, they demand that they should not be evicted and the right of the Nawab family should be recognized on these properties.
