Saif Ali Khan loses ₹15,000 cr ancestral properties as MP High Court enforces Enemy Property Act

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has lost claim to ancestral properties in Bhopal valued at approximately ₹15,000 crore after the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared the estates as 'Enemy Property'. The court overturned a 1999 verdict that had recognised the ownership of Saif’s great-grandmother, Sajida Sultan, over the properties. The new ruling brings the estates under the jurisdiction of the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.

The judgment is based on the Enemy Property Act, 1968, which was amended in 2017. Under this Act, properties left behind by individuals who migrated to Pakistan or China during or after the wars of 1947, 1962, 1965, and 1971, and who took citizenship in those countries, are classified as enemy properties. In this case, Sajida Sultan’s brother migrated to Pakistan, which became the basis for declaring the property as enemy-held.

As per the amended Act, once a property is classified as enemy property, heirs of the original owner lose all rights to ownership, transfer, or claim. The properties are transferred to the Custodian of Enemy Property, a government authority responsible for management and control of such assets. The MP High Court’s decision means that Saif Ali Khan and his family can no longer claim legal ownership or inheritance rights over these Bhopal-based assets.

Saif Ali Khan is the son of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore. He had earlier clarified that the Pataudi Palace, another property linked to the family, was not sold and remained under his ownership. He said it had been leased to Neemrana Hotels and was reclaimed after his father's death in 2011. He described the palace as emotionally valuable and dismissed reports that it was worth ₹800 crore, calling them exaggerated.

The development has triggered varied public reactions online. Some questioned the classification of the property as enemy-held despite Saif Ali Khan being an Indian citizen. Others cited the legal provisions of the Enemy Property Act, which prevent descendants from reclaiming assets once designated as enemy property. The MP High Court ruling stands unless challenged in a higher court.