SC Grants Major Relief to Saif Ali Khan in Bhopal Royal Estate Dispute

SC has granted a significant interim stay today on a Madhya Pradesh High Court order that had reopened a decades-old succession dispute involving the royal estate of Bhopal’s last Nawab, Hamidullah Khan, offering a remission to actor Saif Ali Khan and his family. 

The case stems from a trial court ruling dated February 14, 2000, which upheld the exclusive inheritance rights of Nawab’s daughter, Sajida Sultan, and her descendants including Saif Ali Khan, his sisters Soha and Saba Ali Khan, and their mother, Sharmila Tagore. That decision was based on constitutional provisions recognizing personal estate inheritance and the principle of inheritance.

However, the High Court’s June 30 order invalidated that judgment and detained the matter back to the trial court for a fresh hearing, rather than applying legal precedent, namely a 1997 Allahabad High Court verdict that had later been overruled by the Supreme Court in 2019. This procedural move, the petitioners argued, violated the Code of Civil Procedure. 

A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul Chandurkar issued notice following Special Leave Petitions filed by members of the Nawab’s extended family namely Omar Faruq Ali and Raashid Ali, who challenged the High Court’s remand. The apex court’s stay ensures the existing trial court ruling remains in force while further proceedings unfold. 

This development marks a timely release for the Khan- Tagore family, providing legal stability amid a high-stakes inheritance battle involving property valued at approximately Rs. 15,000 crore. The SC’s intervention preserves the status quo and suspends all lower court actions pending its further orders.