Panel to Probe Bhopal Nawab’s Landed Assets; May Spark Row Over Saif’s Claims
The initiative comes amid Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and her mother Sharmila Tagore challenging the government’s decision: Reports
BHOPAL: A seven-member committee has been constituted by the Bhopal district administration to probe and investigate the massive landed properties belonging to the last Nawab of Bhopal, Hamidullah Khan, valued at over Rs 10,000 crore.
The initiative comes amid Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and her mother Sharmila Tagore challenging the government’s decision to declare the ex-Nawab’s estate as enemy properties.
The Bhopal district administration, led by the district collector, has recently issued a circular to sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) of five regions, Bairagarh, TT Nagar, Kolar, Huzur, and Govindpura to survey and verify land records to identify the landed properties belonging to the last Nawab of Bhopal, a senior district officer told this newspaper on Sunday, unwilling to be quoted.
“The panel is tasked with evaluating and identifying royal properties, including lands in Khanugaon, Kohefiza, and Chiklod, as well as specific estates like Maple House, Riaz Manzil, and Nani Ki Haveli, in Bhopal”, the officer said.
The Centre has declared the estate of ex-Nawab of Bhopal as enemy property contending that the inheritor of the properties, Nawab Hamudullah Khan’s eldest daughter Abida Sultan, had migrated to Pakistan during partition.
Actor Saif Ali Khan Pataudi and his family however staked claim over the property arguing that his paternal grandmother Sajida Sultan, second daughter of Hamidullah Khan, was the inheritor of the Nawab properties since the government of India had recognized her as the ruler of the Bhopal by signing a treaty to merge Bhopal with union of India.
The inheritance case is currently pending in the court.
The panel constituted by the Bhopal district collector was structured to comprehensively audit the historical revenue and land transaction records of the royal estate- which spans over Rs 5,700 crore in Bhopal, and Rs 1,370 crore outside the district- and provide clarity amid extensive legal challenges involving the Nawab’s descendants, including Saif Ali Khan and his family.
Giving another twist to the case, Hamudullah Khan’s third daughter Rabia Sultan and her kin failed a case in the district court pleading for partition of the last Nawab’s properties as per the Islamic law.
The issue is feared to open a can of worms considering that the government has purchased lands from the family to undertake several projects including housing complexes and several stretches of lands were also sold fraudulently.