Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan can cite the recent stabbing incident that took place at his Bandra home to seek an extension in the Pataudi family’s appeal against the government order on their ancestral properties, according to experts.
Lawyer Jagdish Chavani told news agency PTI that if Saif Ali Khan’s family has not filed an appeal yet, they can approach the authorities and seek an extension due to exigencies like the attack on Saif. On January 16, the 54-year-old actor was stabbed by an intruder at his Bandra residence.
He sustained multiple injuries in the attack and underwent emergency surgery. He was discharged from Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday, five days after the attack. Chavani further said that until this confusion, the fate of the people occupying these properties as owners and tenants will remain uncertain.
The properties of the erstwhile Bhopal rulers, worth Rs 15,000 crore inherited by actor Saif Ali Khan and his family, are in limbo due to the possibility of them being seized by the Centre.
This comes after an order from the Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property, which comes under the Union Home Ministry. The property was declared as “enemy property” because Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan’s eldest daughter, Abida Sultan Begum, migrated to Pakistan after Partition.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court had provided an option to appeal against this order by December 13, 2024, which could prevent the government from taking control of the property.
Saif Ali Khan’s family, including his mother Sharmila Tagore, had appealed the 2015 order issued by the enemy’s property custodian, arguing that the property should have been transferred to Sajida Sultan Begum, the second daughter who remained in India.
The case has been challenged in court since 2015, and recent guidance indicates that a family can make representation within 30 days to challenge the order.
The Enemy Property Act, initially passed after the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war, was strengthened in 2017 to prevent such property from being inherited by legal heirs, even if they are Indian citizens. Critics say this violates property rights, while supporters say it is necessary for national security.
The law ensures that property designated as enemy assets remains in the custody of the enemy property custodian in India. Similar cases, such as that of the Raja of Mahmudabad, were controversial, as court rulings initially favored heirs, but were later overturned through legislative amendments.
Property, both movable and immovable, is sold or auctioned, and the proceeds go to the Consolidated Fund of India. The Enemy Property (Amendment and Authentication) Act 2017 strengthened the government’s control over these assets, eliminating inheritance claims.