Saif Ali Khan’s Pataudi heritage and assets worth 15,000 crore to be seized by Govt? – Here’s all you need to know about the Enemy Property Act, 1968

Saif Ali Khan is not called the ‘Chhote Nawab’ merely out of affection. The Pataudi scion comes from a rich heritage that is now under some threat. At lest, the property is.

In what is an incident that won’t be forgotten anytime soon, Bollywood royalty and superstar Saif Ali Khan was brutally attacked in his Mumbai residence during the early hours of January 16, 2025. The news came as a shock to everyone in the country for its brazen nature. The assailant, who was later identified as an illegal Bangladeshi migrant, 30-year-old Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad broke into Khan’s Bandra house with the intent to commit theft and extort money. It recently came to light that the Shehzad reached the 12th floor of the building by climbing up the pipes and breaking into the bathroom window. Inside, he confronted a staff member and subsequently demanding a ransom of ₹1 crore.

The ghastly attack on Saif Ali Khan occurred when commotion brought Saif Ali Khan into the scene, who tried to intervene. The violent altercation resulted in Khan sustaining six stab wounds, which included a severe injury close to his spinal cord. A piece of the knife lodged in his thoracic spinal cord necessitated emergency neurosurgery to remove the blade and repair leaking spinal fluid. Khan was immediately admitted to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent surgery.

Saif Ali Khan’s Pataudi lineage

In the middle of this incident, a new development has come about regarding Khan’s ancestral property in Madhya Pradesh. The son of the late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the former captain of the Indian cricket team and the ninth Nawab of Pataudi, Saif is the scion of the Pataudi family with its ancestral roots tracing back to the princely state of Pataudi in Haryana. But, Khan’s ancestral properties worth Rs 15,000 crore may now come under the control of the Central government after a court lifted a stay order on these assets.

The developments trace back to December 13, 2024 when the High Court asked the Pataudi family to submit their argument before the appellate authority in 30 days. As of today, it is not clear if the family did that which could mean that the property is now under danger of being handed to the state. As per recent updates, Bhopal Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh indicated that any action will be taken only after the High Court order is clear.

What is the Enemy Property Act, 1968

This case is related to the Enemy Property Act, 1968, according to which, the Central government can claim properties owned by individuals who migrated to Pakistan after Partition in 1947. The act designates properties left behind by individuals who migrated to Pakistan or China during partition as “enemy properties” and appoints the Custodian of Enemy Property to oversee these assets, preventing legal heirs from claiming ownership. The original motive behind the legislation was to ensure that properties that could potentially be used against the national interest do not fall into the hands of entities deemed hostile to India.