(MENAFN- Live Mint) Pataudi family's Bhopal assets, including the Pataudi family's ₹15,000-crore property may be taken over by the government. The Madhya Pradesh high court has lifted the 2015 stay over the historical properties bringing them closer to potential government Acquisition under the Enemy Property Act, 1968.
What does Pataudi Family's Bhopal Assets Include?
Pataudi family is facing the potential loss of ancestral properties valued at approximately ₹15,000 crore due to a recent ruling by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
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This decision lifted a stay that had been in place since 2015, thereby allowing the government to claim ownership of these properties under the Enemy Property Act, 1968.
Among the notable sites affected are Flag Staff House, where Saif Ali Khan spent his formative years, as well as Noor-Us-Sabah Palace and Dar-Us-Salam, among others, as reported by NDTV.
In delivering the judgement, Justice Vivek Agarwal highlighted that a statutory remedy is available under the amended Enemy Property Act of 2017.
The Madhya Pradesh HC judge instructed the relevant parties to submit a representation within 30 days to contest the government's claim.
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Saif Ali Khan, the grandson of Sajida Sultan , inherited a portion of the Bhopal properties. However, the Madhya Pradesh government focused on Abida Sultan's migration, using it as the basis for claiming the properties as“enemy property.”
In 2019, the court acknowledged Sajida Sultan as the rightful heir, but the latest ruling has reignited the family's property conflict.
What is Enemy Property Act?
The Enemy Property Act, 1968 is a significant piece of legislation in India that governs the management and allocation of properties left behind by individuals who migrated to countries deemed as enemies, specifically Pakistan and China, following conflicts such as the Indo-Pakistani wars and the Sino-Indian War.
Enacted in the aftermath of the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war , the Act classifies properties belonging to "enemy subjects"-defined as citizens of nations that have engaged in aggression against India-as enemy property.
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Ownership of these properties is vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, a government body responsible for their administration. Notably, amendments made in 2017 expanded the definition of enemy subjects to include legal heirs, effectively barring them from claiming rights over such properties, thereby ensuring that these assets remain under government control regardless of changes in nationality or status of ownership 139.
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