Saif Ali Khan threatens assets worth 15,000 crores, what is the case of heritage of Bhopal Nawab?

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has suffered a major setback from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The court quashed the trial court’s decision in which Saif, his mother Sharmila Tagore and sisters Soha and Saba Ali Khan were declared the only heir to the last Nawab of Bhopal.

However, Saif and his family’s rights are not completely over, but now their legal battle has become more complicated. This case is different from the ‘Enemy Property’ case, in which Saif is already fighting a legal battle.

Nawabi and heritage of Bhopal

The dispute is related to the properties of Hamidullah Khan, the last Nawab of Bhopal. Hamidullah Khan died in 1960. Her eldest daughter Abida Begum was made the successor, but in 1950 she moved to Pakistan. After this, his younger sister Sajida Begum got the title of Nawab and huge assets.

Sajida was married to Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan of the Pataudi family. His son Mansoor Ali Khan was a famous cricketer ‘Tiger Pataudi’, who married actress Sharmila Tagore. Saif, Soha and Saba are their children. Saif and his family inherited this property from Sajida.

Angle of ‘Enemy Property’

When Abida Begum moved to Pakistan, her properties were declared as ‘enemy property’ by the Government of India. The ‘enemy property’ is called those properties that except India settled in the ‘enemy country’ (like Pakistan or China). After the Indo-China War of 1962 and the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, the government captured such assets. Saif and his family are already fighting a legal battle in this ‘enemy property’ case, but the latest decision of the High Court is different.

What is the decision of the High Court and its effect

The Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected the trial court order in which Saif and his family were considered the only heir to the property. Now there will be a new hearing in this case, which has increased uncertainty on Saif’s legacy. If the final decision of the court goes against him, then assets worth Rs 15,000 crore can go by his hand.

This legal battle can be long and complicated for Saif and his family. Experts believe that more evidence will be investigated over the ownership of the property in this case. Saif’s family will now have to prove that this property is their valid legacy and should be excluded from the purview of ‘enemy property’.

This legal battle of Saif Ali Khan is not only associated with his family heritage, but it also highlights the complex issues of policies and ownership of historical assets related to ‘enemy property’ in India. The eyes of the country are eye on this matter, as the result can affect not only Saif’s family, but also the future of other such properties.

Saif’s father Mansoor Ali Khan is said to have contested the Lok Sabha elections from Bhopal to save his property, but he was defeated.