Saif Ali Khan's grandmother wrongfully become Nawab's successor, claims enemy property expert

Chhavani claimed that Sajida Sultan’s appointment as the successor was influenced by the close relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru and Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi.

In a new development in the enemy property dispute involving Saif Ali Khan, lawyer Jagdish Chhavani has raised questions about the legitimacy of Sajida Sultan’s succession. He claims that the actor’s grandmother was unlawfully named the heir to Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last ruler of Bhopal in 1947.

Speaking to AajTak, Chhavani, an expert on enemy property laws, alleged that Sajida Sultan’s designation as successor violated existing rules and was influenced by the close ties between Saif’s grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, and then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

This decision stems from the fact that Nawab Hamidullah Khan’s eldest daughter, Abida Sultan, migrated to Pakistan in 1950 following India’s Partition. As a result, all properties that she was originally entitled to inherit were classified under enemy property laws.

In contrast, the Nawab’s second daughter, Sajida Sultan, chose to remain in India. She later married Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and was subsequently recognized as the legal heir to the disputed properties.

Chhavani claimed that Sajida Sultan’s appointment as the successor was influenced by the close relationship between Jawaharlal Nehru and Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi.

Following the Nawab of Bhopal's death in 1960, his eldest daughter, Abida Sultan, was ineligible to inherit his title or properties due to her Pakistani citizenship under India’s Defence of India Act. Chhavani contended that the January 1962 notification declaring Sajida Sultan as the Nawab of Bhopal did not mention the Bhopal Succession Act. He argued that Sajida could only have been named Nawab if Abida had passed away, as succession traditionally favored the eldest daughter.

The Home Ministry has initiated a new investigation into the estates of Nawab Hamidullah Khan. According to an inventory maintained by the Enemy Property office, more than 30 properties are under review, including Flag Staff House—where Saif Ali Khan spent his childhood—Ahmedabad Palace, and Sophia Mosque in Kohefiza. These properties were reportedly misrepresented as private holdings despite falling under the purview of Enemy Property regulations.

The Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property, which operates under the Home Ministry, has designated the ancestral estates of the Pataudi family in Bhopal, valued at approximately Rs 15,000 crore, as enemy property.