Saif Ali Khan’s Bhopal property dispute ENDS; Pataudi family secures WIN in decades-long Nayapura land controversy; court orders…

A local court in Bhopal has ruled in favour of actor Saif Ali Khan and his family. The court dismissed a civil petition filed over about 16.62-acre land in the Nayapura area. The land is believed to be owned by Saif Ali Khan, his mother Sharmila Tagore, sister Soha Ali Khan, and other heirs of the past royal family of Bhopal. The court made it clear that only the royal family has the legal right over the land.

What is Saif Ali Khan Nayapura property dispute?

The case concerns a piece of land in the Nayapura area of Huzur tehsil in Bhopal. In this case, three local residents had claimed that the land was given to their father, the late Vakil Ahmed, as an inam (gift) by the last Nawab of Bhopal, Hamidullah Khan, in 1936. He said that his father and his ancestors had served the Nawab during the princely period, in return for which this land was given to him.

The complainants put before the court old revenue records, possession of land and construction therein in support of their claim. He said that they have been occupying this land for a long time, rooms were built there, people were kept for maintenance, and some parts were given to other people to live. They argued that due to continuous occupation, they have a right to the land.

What did the court order in Saif Ali Khan Nayapura property dispute?

However, the court did not accept these arguments. The court said that the plaintiffs could not produce any clear and legal proof of the grant of land by the Nawab. Moreover, the court also held that the land was recorded as the personal property of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in the agreement made in 1949 at the time of the merger of the princely state of Bhopal with India. According to court records, a 12.62-acre portion of the land was sold to a builder in 1998 after the family split.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanjay Agrawal, in his verdict, said the plaintiffs could neither prove legal ownership of the land nor valid possession. Therefore, his request for a permanent injunction was denied. The court made it clear that there was no ground to stop interference in the land against Saif Ali Khan and his family. After this decision, more than 16 acres of Nayapura land of Saif Ali Khan have been considered completely safe.