On July 5, 2025, the Madhya Pradesh High Court declared Pataudi family properties worth ₹15,000 crores, including Saif Ali Khan’s childhood home, Flag Staff House, as Enemy Property, overturning a 25-year-old trial court verdict favouring his great-grandmother, Sajida Sultan.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the Pataudi family’s vast estate, including Flag Staff House in Bhopal and properties in Haryana, qualifies as Enemy Property under the Enemy Property Act, 1968, due to Sajida Sultan’s ties to Pakistan post-partition. The decision reverses a 2000 trial court verdict, affecting assets valued at ₹15,000 crore, The Indian Express reported. The Custodian of Enemy Property for India now controls these assets, used for national purposes.
BIG BREAKING 🚨 Saif Ali Khan loses Rs 15,000 cr ancestral properties in Bhopal.
Madhya Pradesh High Court declares assets worth ₹15,000 crore belonging to the Pataudi family including Saif Ali Khan’s childhood home, Flag Staff House as Enemy Property.
High court overturns… pic.twitter.com/fZFXpWhr9i
— Times Algebra (@TimesAlgebraIND) July 5, 2025The Pataudi family, led by Saif’s grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan, the last Nawab of Pataudi, owned extensive properties before India’s 1947 partition. Sajida Sultan, Iftikhar’s wife, inherited the estate but subsequently moved to Pakistan, which led to the estate being classified as Enemy Property. Saif, a Bollywood icon, spent his childhood at Flag Staff House, valued at ₹1,500 crore alone. The ruling affects 2,500 acres across Bhopal and Gurgaon.
The ruling sparked debate with posts like “Saif losing Pataudi legacy is heartbreaking”, gaining 200,000 engagements. Legal experts, like advocate Anil Malhotra, argue the decision upholds the 1968 Act’s intent, per Hindustan Times, while Saif’s team considers an appeal to the Supreme Court. The case, linked to 2.1 million enemy properties nationwide, per the Ministry of Home Affairs, reignites discussions on post-partition property disputes.
The loss of ₹15,000 crore in Pataudi properties impacts Saif Ali Khan’s personal and cultural legacy, resonating with 1.4 billion Indians. The ruling, affecting high-profile figures, underscores the enduring relevance of the Enemy Property Act, with assets worth ₹1 lakh crore, according to MHA data.
