Saif Ali Khan's Rs 15,000 Crore Worth Ancestral Assets In Bhopal Declared 'Enemy Property' by MP Govt

The Madhya Pradesh government may soon assume control of actor Saif Ali Khan's ancestral property, valued at ₹15,000 crore, following the lifting of a stay on the historical properties of the erstwhile Bhopal state.

The stay, which had been in place since 2015, was removed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Photo Credit: PTI

On 13 December 2024, Justice Vivek Agarwal of the Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed Saif Ali Khan's petition challenging a government notice that declared the Pataudi family's properties in Bhopal as "enemy property."

The court granted Saif Ali Khan the right to appeal to the Appellate Tribunal, but neither he nor his family has taken further legal action to date.

Previously, the Madhya Pradesh government announced its intention to acquire the properties of the last Nawab of Bhopal under the Enemy Property Act of 1968.

According to sources, the Pataudi family's Bhopal properties, which have been held by Saif Ali Khan and Sharmila Tagore's family, are worth ₹15,000 crore and span areas from Kohefiza to Chiklod in Bhopal.

Legal Issues Surrounding Saif Ali Khan

The legal troubles for Saif Ali Khan began in 2014 when the Custodian of Enemy Property Department issued a notice categorising the Pataudi family's properties in Bhopal as "enemy property." Saif Ali Khan contested this notice in the High Court in 2015 and obtained a stay on the property. However, the High Court dismissed his petition in December 2024, thereby lifting the stay.

In a recent ruling, the High Court granted Saif Ali Khan and his family 30 days to approach the appellate tribunal to reclaim the property. With the deadline now expired, no family member has come forward to assert a claim.

Under the legal process, the government is now permitted to take possession of these properties, with the Bhopal district administration overseeing the acquisition.

What is "Enemy Property"?

"Enemy property" refers to assets owned by individuals who migrated to Pakistan during India's partition and subsequently renounced their Indian citizenship.

The act was enacted after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, allowing the government to take control of properties classified as "enemy property."

The Pataudi family's property is considered to fall under this classification as Abida Sultan, the daughter of Nawab Hamidullah Khan of Bhopal, chose to settle in Pakistan. Saif Ali Khan, a great-grandson of Hamidullah Khan, is directly connected to the legacy of the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal, a Muslim princely state that merged with India in 1949.