Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan can cite the recent stabbing incident in his Bandra resident to request for an extension in the Pataudi family’s appeal against the government order on their ancestral properties, as per experts.
Advocate Jagdish Chhavani told news agency PTI that if Saif Ali Khan’s family has not yet filed an appeal, they can approach the authorities and seek an extension citing exigencies such as the attack on Saif. On January 16, the 54-year-old actor was stabbed by an intruder at his Bandra residence.Â
He sustained multiple injuries in the attack and underwent emergency surgery. He was discharged from the Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday, five days after the attack. Chhavani further said that till this confusion, fate of people occupying these properties as owners and tenants would remain uncertain.Â
The properties of Bhopal’s former rulers, valued at ₹15,000 crore and inherited by actor Saif Ali Khan and his family, are in limbo due to the possibility of being taken over by the Centre.
This follows an order from the Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property, which comes 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 post-Partition.Â
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.Â
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 have been transferred to Sajida Sultan Begum, the second daughter who stayed in India.
The issue has been contested in court since 2015, and the recent directive suggested the family could file a representation within 30 days to challenge the order.Â
The Enemy Property Act, initially passed after the India-Pakistan war of 1965, was strengthened in 2017 to prevent inheritance of such properties by legal heirs, even if they are Indian citizens. Critics argue that this infringes on property rights, while supporters see it as necessary for national security.Â
The act ensures that properties designated as enemy assets remain with the Custodian of Enemy Property for India. Similar cases, like that of the Raja of Mahmudabad, have been contentious, with court rulings initially favouring heirs but later overturned by legislative amendments.Â
The properties, both movable and immovable, are either auctioned or sold, with proceeds going to the Consolidated Fund of India. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act of 2017 reinforced the government’s control over these assets, nullifying inheritance claims.