Court Dismisses Saif Ali Khan’s Challenge to ‘Enemy Property’ Tag on Ancestral Assets

Court Rejects Saif Ali Khan’s Plea Against ‘Enemy Property’ Tag on Ancestral Assets.

In a significant setback for Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed his long-standing plea challenging the government’s move to label his ancestral properties—worth an estimated ₹15,000 crore—as ‘enemy property’. The court overturned a 2000 trial court ruling that had recognized Saif, his sisters Soha and Saba Ali Khan, and their mother Sharmila Tagore as the rightful heirs.

The High Court has now directed the trial court to re-examine the succession case afresh within a year.

Background of the Dispute
The controversy centers around vast properties in Bhopal and Raisen, including iconic estates such as Kohefiza’s Flag House, Ahmedabad Palace, the Chiklod forest lands, and several others like Noor-e-Saba, Dar-us-Salam, and New Quarters.

These properties originally belonged to Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last ruling Nawab of the princely state of Bhopal, who passed away in 1960. His eldest daughter, Abida Sultan, migrated to Pakistan in 1950. His second daughter, Sajida Sultan—Saif’s grandmother—remained in India and was later declared his legal heir. She married Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, thus linking the Pataudi family to the Bhopal royal lineage.

In 1962, the Government of India formally recognized Sajida Sultan’s rights under Article 366(22) of the Constitution.

Government’s Claim Under Enemy Property Act
However, after Abida Sultan’s migration to Pakistan, the central government invoked the Enemy Property Act, 1968, which allows confiscation of properties belonging to individuals who moved to Pakistan post-Partition. In 2015, the Custodian of Enemy Property declared the Nawab’s estates as government-owned.

Legal Battle and New Developments
The Pataudi family has been contesting the government’s claim ever since. They argued that the succession of personal property should be governed by Muslim Personal Law and the Bhopal Throne Succession Act, 1947. They also pointed out that the Act was later struck down by the Supreme Court and thus could not be the basis for rejection of their rights.

In 2019, the court acknowledged Sajida Sultan as the rightful heir, with Saif and his siblings inheriting a share of the estate. But the central government maintained its stance, citing Abida Sultan’s migration and applying the ‘enemy property’ label.

Now, with the High Court rejecting the previous trial court decision and ordering a fresh hearing, the high-profile legal dispute over the royal assets will continue in the lower court, potentially reshaping inheritance claims.