Will Saif Ali Khan cite stabbing incident to appeal against government order on Pataudi family properties worth ₹15,000 cr? Details here

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan may cite the recent stabbing incident in his Bandra resident to seek an extension in the Pataudi family’s appeal against the government order on their ancestral properties, according to experts.

Lawyer Jagdish Chhavani told news agency PTI that if the family of Saif Ali Khan has not yet filed an appeal, they can approach the authorities and seek an extension citing demands such as the attack on Saif. On January 16, the 54-year-old actor was stabbed by an intruder at his Bandra residence.

He sustained multiple injuries in the attack and underwent emergency surgery. He was released from Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday, five days after the attack. Chhavani also said that until this confusion, the fate of people occupying these properties as owners and tenants remains uncertain.

The properties of former Bhopal leaders, valued at ₹ 15,000 crore and inherited by actor Saif Ali Khan and his family, are in limbo due to the possibility of being repossessed by the Centre.

This follows an order from the Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property, which is under the Union Home Ministry. The properties were declared as ‘Enemy Property’ because Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan’s eldest daughter Abida Sultan Begum migrated to Pakistan after Partition.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court had provided an option to appeal against this order by December 13, 2024, which could prevent the properties from being controlled by the government.

Saif Ali Khan’s family, including his mother Sharmila Tagore, had challenged the 2015 order of the Custodian of Enemy Property, arguing that the properties should be transferred to Sajida Sultan Begum, the second daughter who was staying in India.

The issue has been contested in court since 2015, and the recent directive suggested that the family could file a representation within 30 days to challenge the order.

The Enemy Property Act, initially passed after the India-Pakistan war of 1965, was strengthened in 2017 to prevent the inheritance of such property by legal heirs, even if they are Indian citizens. Critics argue that this violates property rights, while supporters see it as necessary for national security.

The act ensures that properties designated as enemy assets remain with the Custodian of Enemy Property for India. Similar cases, such as that of the Raja of Mahmudabad, were satisfied, with court decisions initially favoring the heirs, but later overturned by legislative amendments.

The properties, both movable and immovable, are sold or auctioned, with the profit going to the Consolidated Fund of India. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act of 2017 strengthened the government’s control over these assets, nullifying legacy claims.