Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan may lose Rs 15,000 crore properties in Bhopal. The Madhya Pradesh High Court in December last year dismissed Khan's petition filed against the government notice declaring the Pataudi family's property in Bhopal as 'enemy property'. During a hearing on December 13, 2024, a single bench of Justice Vivek Agarwal of the Madhya Pradesh High Court dismissed the petition of the actor.

The High Court directed in its order that he can file an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal. However, Saif Ali Khan and his family have not taken any action yet. Apart from the Centre and Khan, other parties in the case are, the Bollywood actor's mother Sharmila Tagore, his sisters - Soha Ali khan and Saba Ali Khan, and his father's sister Sabiha Sultan.

What Is Enemy Act:

Under this act act, the central government can take control of 'enemy' properties', the properties belongs to people who migrated to Pakistan and changed their citizenship. Notably, in the wake of 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, many people migrated to Pakistan leaving Indian citizienship. Similarly, properties of people who went to China after the 1962 Indo-Sino war were also termed as 'enemy properties'.

The Enemy Property Act was enacted in 1968. It is an act to provide for the continued vesting of enemy property vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India under the Defence of India Rules, 1962. In 2017, Parliament cleared The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016. It amended The Enemy Property Act, 1968, and The Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.

The amended act tweaked the definition of the term “enemy subject”, and “enemy firm” It included legal heir and successor of an enemy, who could be a citizen of India or a citizen of a country which which is not India's enemy. The amendment also provided that the 'enemy property' will continue to vest in the Custodian even if enemy or enemy subject or enemy firm is no more an enemy due to death, no more exists, closing of business or change of nationality.

Why Saif Ali Khan May Lose His Ancestral Properties?

in 2014, when the Custodian of Enemy Property Department issued a notice declaring the properties of the Pataudi family located in Bhopal as "enemy property." The dispute deepened due to the 2016 ordinance of the Government of India, which made it clear that the heir will not have any right over the property of the Pataudi family.

After the death of Bhopal Nawab Hamidullah Khan in 1960, his daughter Abida Sultan was considered the heir to the property. However, Abida Sultan had moved to Pakistan in 1950 itself, due to which the Government of India declared her second daughter, Sajida Sultan -, as the heir to the property. Notably, Sajida Sultan married to Saif Ali Khan's grandfather Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi. The court recognised Sajida Sultan as the legal heir of Nawab Hamidullah Khan.

Saif Ali Khan challenged this notice in the High Court in 2015 and got a stay on the property. The hare of properties were inherited to Saif Ali Khan. These properties include - the Flag Staff House, Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Fars Khana, Dar-Us-Salam Ahmedabad Palace and Kohefiza.

In the recent decision, the High Court had given 30 days to the Khan family to approach the appellate tribunal to reclaim the property. The deadline has expired, and no claim was submitted by the Nawab family.