Saif Ali Khan loses Rs 15,000 cr worth of properties in Bhopal in inheritance battle

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and his family have encountered a significant legal obstacle in their long-standing battle over the sprawling ₹15,000-crore inheritance tied to the royal family of Bhopal. This week, the Madhya Pradesh High Court overturned a 25-year-old ruling that had previously upheld their claim to the property, calling for a new trial to reassess the matter.

Dispute with Saif Ali Khan's Bhopal property

The earlier judgment, issued by a Bhopal trial court in 2000, had declared Saif, his mother Sharmila Tagore, and sisters Soha and Saba Ali Khan as rightful heirs to the estate of the late Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan. However, Justice Sanjay Dwivedi has now annulled that ruling, instructing the trial court to reopen the case, allowing for a fresh examination of evidence and a verdict to be delivered within a year.

The royal roots of the dispute trace back to Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal, who had three daughters: Abida, Sajida, and Rabia. When Abida moved to Pakistan, her sister Sajida who married Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi inherited the family property. It was later passed on to her son, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and then to his children.

However, several other descendants of Nawab Hamidullah, including Begum Suraiya Rashid and Nawab Mehr Taj Sajida Sultan, contested the succession, claiming the 2000 ruling had unfairly dismissed their rights. They argue that under Muslim Personal Law, the property should have been divided among all legal heirs, not just Sajida’s lineage.

Though the Pataudis had presented a 1962 succession certificate issued by the Government of India naming Sajida as sole successor, the opposing parties challenged its validity in their appeals. Justice Dwivedi has now ordered the case to be revisited, stating that the trial court is free to consider new evidence and legal developments. This marks a major turn in what could be a lengthy and closely watched legal saga.

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