Saif Ali Khan’s days are not going well. After being attacked by Bangladeshi miscreant Mohammad Shariful Shehzad and spending six days in the hospital, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan received shocking news of losing his property upon returning home. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the government to acquire property worth approximately Rs 15,000 crores belonging to the Pataudi royal family. Saif Ali Khan’s last option to save this historic property is to appeal in the Appellate Tribunal.
This royal property in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, includes several landmarks where Saif Ali Khan spent his childhood and teenage years. These include Noor-us-Sabah Palace, Dar-us-Salam, Habibi Bungalow, Ahmedabad House, Koh-e-Fiza property, and Flag Staff House. In 2016, the central government initiated the process of acquiring this property under the ‘Enemy Property Act’ through an ordinance. Although Saif Ali Khan fought this directive in court, the Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled in favor of the central government. Now, Saif has the only option of filing an appeal in the Appellate Tribunal.
In 1947, Bhopal was a ‘Princely State.’ The last Nawab of Bhopal was Nawab Hamidullah Khan. He had three daughters. The eldest, Abida Sultan, permanently moved to Pakistan in 1950. The second daughter, Sajida Sultan, stayed in India and married Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi. Saif Ali Khan is her grandson. Interestingly, the central government brought the Pataudi family’s property under the ‘Enemy Property Act’ solely because one of the daughters had permanently moved to Pakistan, while ignoring the other family members who remained in India.