Saif Ali Khan's Pataudi Family Properties Worth Rs 15000 Crore To Be Taken Over By Govt? What Reports Say

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan is reportedly at the risk of losing his ancestral properties in Bhopal that is valued at approximately Rs 15,000 crore, due to a recent legal development. If media reports are to be believed, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has lifted a stay, in place since 2015, on the government's move to declare these assets as "enemy property" under the Enemy Property Act of 1968. 

Background of the ongoing dispute

The controversy erupted on the lineage of Bhopal's last Nawab, Hamidullah Khan, who had three daughters. Khan's eldest daughter, Abida Sultan, migrated to Pakistan in 1950, while his second daughter, Sajida Sultan, remained in India and married Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi.  Sajida Sultan was recognized as the legal heir, and her grandson, Saif Ali Khan, inherited a portion of these properties. However, the governmentis of the view  that due to Abida Sultan's migration, the assets automatically qualify as "enemy property." 

Properties Under Scrutiny

As per media reports, the assets in question include several significant estates such as Flag Staff House (Saif Ali Khan's childhood residence), Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Dar-Us-Salam, Ahmedabad Palace and Kohefiza Property
Lawsuit 

In 2015, Saif Ali Khan filed a petition challenging the government's notice that declared the Pataudi family's properties as enemy property. The Madhya Pradesh (MP) High Court had imposed a stay on the government's action. 
On December 13, 2024, the MP High court dismissed Saif's petition, effectively lifting the stay and allowing the government to proceed with the takeover. However, the court directed that an appeal could be filed before the Appellate Tribunal within 30 days, but no action has been taken by Saif or his family members to date. 

Implications

The potential government takeover has caused some anxiety among approximately 150,000 residents living on these lands. Many of them fear displacement as the administration begins surveys to determine property ownership. 
Bhopal Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh recently announced plans to review ownership records spanning the last 72 years and suggested that current residents might be reclassified as tenants under state leasing laws. 

Govt eyeing the properties

With the High Court's dismissal of Saif Ali Khan's petition, the government is poised to take control of the properties under the Enemy Property Act. However, the Pataudi family can still file an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal,. If no appeal is filed, the government may proceed with the takeover, leaving the future of these historic properties and their residents in a state of turmoil.