Explained: Why Saif Ali Khan Could Lose ₹15,000 Crore in Royal Inheritance
Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan may be on the verge of losing properties worth ₹15,000 crore, following a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that overturned a previous ruling declaring him and his immediate family as the rightful heirs to royal assets in Bhopal. These properties include the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace (now a luxury hotel), Flagstaff House, and various other royal estates across Madhya Pradesh.
The setback comes after the High Court directed a lower court to re-examine the inheritance dispute and issue a fresh ruling within a year. The move could significantly affect Saif Ali Khan’s hold over the royal legacy passed down from his maternal great-grandfather, Nawab Hamidullah Khan — the last ruler of Bhopal.
A Legacy in Jeopardy
Saif Ali Khan’s maternal lineage traces back to Nawab Hamidullah Khan, whose second daughter, Sajida Sultan (Saif’s grandmother), stayed in India post-Partition and inherited the Nawab’s properties. His first daughter, Abida Sultan, had migrated to Pakistan, which is central to the ongoing dispute.
Sajida Sultan married Iftikhar Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi. Their son, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, inherited the properties, which then passed on to Saif Ali Khan. The inheritance was officially recognised by the Indian government in 1962, affirming Sajida as the sole heir.
However, other descendants of Hamidullah Khan challenged a 2000 trial court ruling that favoured Saif and his family. They argued that under Muslim Personal Law, the assets should be divided among all legal heirs. The High Court has now accepted their plea, re-opening the succession case.
The Enemy Property Angle
Another layer of complexity stems from the application of the Enemy Property Act, 1968, which allows the Indian government to seize assets owned by nationals of enemy countries. In 2014, the government issued a notice to Saif Ali Khan, citing that because Abida Sultan had migrated to Pakistan and was technically the Nawab’s legal heir, the properties could be considered “enemy property.”
Although the government had previously acknowledged Sajida Sultan’s claim in 1962, the Custodian of Enemy Property later overturned that recognition. Saif Khan challenged this in court and secured a temporary stay, but in December 2024, the High Court dismissed the petition and lifted the stay. He was given 30 days to file an appeal.
It remains unclear whether Saif filed that appeal in time — especially since he was recovering from surgery after being stabbed during a home invasion in January 2025.
Saif Ali Khan, the current Nawab of Pataudi, may now have to fight a long legal battle to retain control of his ancestral properties and protect a royal legacy that dates back generations.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
