Hyderabad: Shafia Sakeena, granddaughter of 7th Nizam Mir Usman Ali Khan has moved the Hyderabad High Court questioning the lease of Koti Asifia Palace at Alwal area of the city to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan for 99 years.
She told the court that the Koti Asifia Palace was located in 28.48 acres at Alwal and after the demise of the 7th Nizam none of his legal heirs have taken possession of the palace due to dispute over Nizam properties among them.
The erstwhile AP government in 1981 had leased out the palace to the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on the rent of '1 per annum, she added.
She told the court that as per the law the lease deed has to be registered within 11 months from the date of enter into agreement, but the lease deed has not been registered within the stipulated period. While contending that the lease has no legal sanctity, she urged the court to direct the state government to hand over the palace to her as she is the legal heir of the 7th Nizam.
She told the court that the management of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is making efforts to utilise the property for commercial use and it had already defaced the Palace and also destroyed the valuable furniture and other articles.
