MP: Actor Saif Ali Khan’s family faces prospect of losing inheritance claim over ex-Bhopal Nawab’s property worth Rs 15,000 crore, court lifts stay on historical properties

Bhopal: Actor Saif Ali Khan’s family faces the prospect of losing the inheritance claim over the properties of the last Nawab of Bhopal, designated earlier as ‘enemy property’ by the government.
The actor has failed to file an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal to claim over the historical properties extending from Kohefiza to Chiklod in Bhopal, valued at around Rs 15,000 crore in the current real estate value during the stipulated period allowed by the Madhya Pradesh high court, paving the way for the state government to take possession of them as ‘enemy property’.
The Madhya Pradesh high court had earlier dismissed a petition by the actor against the notice issued by the government designating the property of the Pataudi family (Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi) as ‘enemy property’ in its order on December 13, 2024.
The court however allowed the actor and his family to file an appeal in the Appellate Tribunal, but neither the actor nor his family has taken any action so far.
Trouble started for the actor in 2014 when the Custodian of Enemy Property Department issued a notice declaring the properties of the Pataudi family as ‘enemy property’.
An ordinance was issued by the government in 2016 clarifying that the heir would have no right over the properties of the Pataudi family.
A property of a person who had moved to Pakistan during partition and taken citizenship of that country is designated as ‘enemy property’ by the government.
The Pataudi family’s properties fall under this category since Abida Sultan, daughter of Bhopal Nawab Hamidullah Khan, had moved to Pakistan during partition and took citizenship there.