Saif Ali Khan loses 'Enemy Property' worth Rs 15K crore! Know how the Nawab of Pataudi inherited the assets

In a major legal setback for actor Saif Ali Khan, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on June 30 set aside a trial court order that had made him, his sisters and mother the sole legal heirs of Nawab of Bhopal. The Nawab of Pataudi, Saif, lost his long-standing bid to reclaim his ancestral properties in Bhopal, estimated to be worth over Rs 15,000 crore. 

The MP High Court dismissed his plea challenging the government's decision to designate the sprawling estate as 'enemy property' under the Enemy Property Act. The ruling overturned a 2000 trial court decision that had recognised Saif and his family as legitimate heirs of the property. Though Saif and his kin have not yet lost all the rights over these properties, their legal fight has become harder. Well, this case is separate from the Enemy Properties case which the actor is also fighting over these properties.

But, do you know how Saif Ali Khan and his kin inherited the properties of the Nawab of Bhopal?

How Saif Ali Khan and His Kin Inherited the Nawab of Bhopal's Properties?

Saif Ali Khan's father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, was the son of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the last ruler of the princely state of Pataudi during the British Raj and Sajida Begum, the daughter of Hamidullah Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal. Hamidullah Khan held the title till his death in 1960. Though his eldest daughter, Abida Begum, had been his apparent heir, she migrated to Pakistan in 1950. Thus, her younger sister Sajida inherited the title, and the properties were estimated to be worth Rs 15,000 crore. Saif, Soha and Saba, being Mansoor and Sharmila Tagore's children, inherited the properties after Sajida.

The current case was filed 25 years ago. Other descendants of Nawab Hamidullah Khan challenged the original judgment. They wanted a share of the Nawab's personal properties and argued that inheritance should follow the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937.

More About The Asset

'Enemy property' refers to the assets left behind in India by individuals who migrated to 'enemy nations'. The assets in question include some prime real estate in and near Bhopal, including the Flag Staff House, where Saif spent his childhood, the luxury hotel Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Dar-Us-Salam, the Bungalow of Habibi, Ahmedabad Palace, and Kohefiza Property.