Six decades of litigation over the Bhopal royal estate, worth over ₹15,000 crore, have made it to the Supreme Court, embroiling Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan and his family in a high-stakes legal action. The case, which more than anything else epitomizes a healthy mix of royal heritage, legal entanglements, and family rivalries, draws its roots from the legacy of Nawab Hamidullah Khan.
Saif Ali Khan’s Royal Legacy Under Siege
The vast estate of Nawab Hamidullah Khan, Bhopal’s last ruler who died in 1960 is the centre of this dispute. His daughter, Mehr Taj Sajida Sultan, was acknowledged as the heir to both the royal title and private properties under the principles of primogeniture and a government certificate issued in 1962.
Her heirs, among whom are counted Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Saba Sultan and Sharmila Tagore, inherited the estate. However, the remainder of the family, including the descendants of the Nawab’s brother and second daughter, claim rights that are recognized by Muslim Personal Law, disputing the exclusivity of this succession.
Legal Twists and Turns
Legal proceedings began on 14 September 1999 when extended family members filed lawsuits for partition. While in the year 2000, a trial court in Bhopal upheld that the heirs of Sajida were sole owners referring to a 1997 Allahabad High Court ruling, this was reversed in June 2025 by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, applying a personal law instead of primogeniture in the split-up of the estate as was defined by the apex court.
The High Court controversially remitted the case for a retrial, not viewing any allocation of shares to be appropriate, triggering an appeal by the petitioners Omar Faruq Ali and Raashid Ali. Finally, on August 8, 2025, the Supreme Court led by Justices PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar intervened staying the High Court’s order, staying the retrial and issuing notices to Saif’s family and other claimants.
A High-Stakes Showdown Awaits
By intervention of the Supreme Court, the potential redistribution of an estate worth ₹15,000 crore has been stopped for a while, thus keeping alive the claim of the family of Saif. The respondents have four weeks to respond, after which the matter will be heard in September 2025, and this will provide a dramatic resolution to the case.
