Actor Saif Ali Khan, who is recovering from a recent stabbing attack at his home, is facing another battle now; this time, regarding his family property worth Rs 15,000 crore.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 13, 2024, dismissed the actor's plea against the government move to declare the Pataudi family property in Bhopal as "enemy property". He can still appeal to the Appellate Tribunal.
Saif Ali Khan :
— Veena Jain (@DrJain21) January 21, 2025
> Got st@bbed 6 times with kn!fe
> Reached hospital on Auto rickshaw
> Doctors removed piece of Kn!fe from body
> Still got discharged within few days
> No victim card
BJP MP Sarangi :
> in ICU just by one imaginary push of Rahul Gandhi 💀#SaifAliKhan pic.twitter.com/NkHpajaJpa
The state government issued a notice saying properties belonging to the Nawab of Bhopal would be acquired under the Enemy Property Act, 1968.
What is Enemy Property Act, 1968?
The Enemy Property Act, 1968, stipulates that properties owned by people who took citizenship in Pakistan can be considered as enemy property that can be seized by the government. The law was passed following the India-Pakistan War of 1965.
The last Nawab of Bhopal, Hamidullah Khan, had three daughters. The eldest of them, Abida Sultan, moved to Pakistan in 1950, following the partition, and renounced Indian citizenship. The second daughter, Sajida Sultan, stayed in India, becoming the rightful heir.
Saif Ali Khan, who is Sajida's grandson, inherited a part of these assets. The court had in 2019 acknowledged Sajida as the rightful heir. However, the government cited Abida's migration to claim that the properties are "enemy property".
The Pataudi family moved court in 2015 after the Custodian of Enemy Property Department declared the Bhopal Nawab's assets as government property.
These include the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Bungalow of Habibi, Ahmedabad Palace, Dar-Us-Salam, Kohefiz Property and the Flag Staff House, where Saif Ali Khan lived as a child.
The single bench led by Justice Vivek Agarwal said a statutory remedy exists under the amended Enemy Property Act, 2017. He directed the parties to file a representation regarding this in 30 days.
Saif Ali Khan returned home on Tuesday after being admitted to Lilavati Hospital for five days. The actor had suffered six stab wounds after Bangladesh national Shariful Islam Shehzad broke into his home to commit robbery.
