Explained | Saif Ali Khan To Lose ₹15,000 Crore Pataudis 'Enemy Property' To Relatives And Government Of India?

Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore and her son Saif Ali Khan's sprawling ancestral property spread over thousands of acres in Bhopal has been a long-standing matter of dispute between the Pataudi family heirs and the Indian government. The disputed property includes Bhopal’s Flag Staff House and the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace as well as 5,796 acres of prime land in Bhopal and 1,370 acres of land outside of Bhopal. An order passed by the Bhopal district court, dated February 2000, had declared Sharmila and Saif the rightful heirs of the property that belonged to Hamidullah Khan, the last Nawab of Bhopal. With Saif's family and GoI involved, the fate of the ₹15,000 crore property is in limbo.

Also read: Shraddha's Beau Filming Her Reel Is Bare Minimum Or Princess Treatment?

Saif Ali Khan vs family over Bhopal property: Who are all involved?

Saif Ali Khan's great-grandfather, Hamidullah Khan, had three daughters - Abida Sultan, Sajida Sultan and Rabia Sultan. Abida, being the eldest daughter, was named as the successor of Khan's property. But, her right to the properties became contentious after Abida relinquished her claim and moved to Pakistan.

Also read: Metro In Dino Box Office: Sara's Film Registers Record Jump On Saturday

Sajida Sultan, the second in line, became the successor to Khan's properties. The government through an order dated 12 January, 1962, recognised Sajida as the successor. Sajida was married to the Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan, and after her demise in 1995, the properties that belonged to her were inherited by her three children—Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and his sisters Saleha Sultan, Sabiha Sultan—under Muslim personal law. Properties inherited by Mansur Ali Khan were then inherited by his three children, Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Sabah Ali Khan.

Khan's other heirs, Begum Suraiya Rashid, Begum Mehar Taj, Sajida Sultan, Nawabzadi Qamar Taj Rabia Sultan, Nawab Mehar Taj Sajida Sultan and others have opposed Bhopal district court's order declaring Saif as inheritor of the Bhopal property that belonged to Hamidullah Khan.

Why was Bhopal property declared 'enemy property'?

The long-standing property dispute in the family became a national issue and reached the Madhya Pradesh High Court when the Custodian of Enemy Property in India (CEPI) issued a notice on 24 February 2015. The notice declared the properties belonging to the erstwhile Nawab, Hamidullah Khan, and later inherited by his family, as "enemy property" on the grounds that his initial successor, Abida Sultan, had moved to Pakistan.

An 'enemy property' is described as properties left behind by people or their heirs who fought in wars against India or who became citizens of enemy nations (e.g. Pakistan, China).

CEPI seeks control of 'enemy property'

Under the Enemy Property Act, 1968, enemy properties are permanently kept with the Enemy Property Custodian. As per this law, these properties cannot be inherited or transferred by any person. Saif Ali Khan moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2015 against CEPI's notice declaring the Bhopal land and in the adjoining areas as "enemy property", calling it “illegal”.

Saif's plea against CEPI was dismissed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2024 and a 30-day period was allowed to file an appeal. However, no appeal was filed from Saif's end. The ruling has also overturned a 2000 trial court decision that had recognised Saif, his mother Sharmila Tagore, and his sisters Soha and Saba Ali Khan as legitimate heirs of the property. The "enemy property" status has been attached to it. Now, the High Court has ordered a retrial, with a verdict to be delivered within a year.