Mumbai: Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan and his family are reportedly at risk of losing several ancestral properties worth an estimated Rs 15,000 crore under the Enemy Property Act, 1968. According to reports, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has recently lifted the 2015 freeze on these properties. By NDTV.
Some of the properties affected by the decision include Saif’s childhood home, Flag Staff House, as well as Noor-us-Sabah Palace, Dar-us-Salaam, Habibie’s Bungalow, Ahmedabad Palace and Kohefiza property. These properties have historical significance and are linked to Saif’s family lineage through Nawab Hamidullah Khan of Bhopal
The Enemy Property Act allows the government to confiscate properties owned by persons who migrated to Pakistan during partition. This complication arose when the daughter of the Nawab of Bhopal moved to Pakistan, while Saif’s grandmother Sajida Sultan remained in India. The government is reportedly citing the migrant daughter’s claim as a basis for possible acquisition.
Pataudi Palace, one of the most notable properties associated with Saif, has been a summer retreat and filming location over the years. Saif reclaimed the palace after it was leased to a hotel chain by his father, the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. In a 2021 interview with Bollywood Hungama, Saif clarified, “My father had leased it, and Francis (Wakziarg) and Aman (Nath), who ran a hotel there, took good care of the property. Contrary to reports, I did not need to buy it back because I already had it.
Saif’s sister Soha Ali Khan shared details about the history of the palace during an interview with Housing.com. He revealed that his grandfather, the Nawab of Pataudi, had built the palace in 1935 to impress his father-in-law so that he could marry Begum Sajida Sultan of Bhopal. However, due to financial constraints, some parts of the palace remained incomplete, such as areas with cement floors instead of marble.
Soha also highlighted how her mother Sharmila Tagore carefully manages the finances of the palace. He said, “My mother keeps accounts; She knows the daily and monthly expenses. For example, we whitewash Pataudi instead of painting it because it is less expensive. “It is the architecture and history of the place that is most fascinating, not the objects or the furnishings.”
While Saif uses the palace as a summer home and occasionally leases it out for film productions, the potential loss of these properties could be a turning point for the Pataudi family. This decision adds to the ongoing legal complexities surrounding ancestral properties, forcing families to carefully consider their next steps.
Currently, Saif was in the news for being attacked with a knife at his home and the actor was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is taking adequate amount of rest.
