Jabalpur: In a setback to actor Saif Ali Khan and his family, who inherited Rs 15,000 crore properties owned by Bhopal’s erstwhile rulers, the Madhya Pradesh high court has set aside the trial court’s verdict given over two decades ago, and ordered a retrial in the case.

In its order passed on June 30, the single bench of Justice Sanjay Dwivedi set aside the judgment and decree of the trial court which upheld Pataudis (Saif Ali Khan, his mother Sharmila Tagore and his two sisters Soha and Saba) to be the owners of the properties. It directed the trial court to make all efforts to conclude and decide the matter within one year.

Nawab Hamidullah was the last ruling Nawab of the princely state of Bhopal. He and his wife Maimoona Sultan had three daughters: Abida, Sajida and Rabia. Sajida married Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and became the Nawab Begum of Bhopal. Their son, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, former Indian cricket team skipper married Sharmila Tagore.

After Nawab Hamidullah’s eldest daughter Abida migrated to Pakistan, Sajida became the owner of the properties. Later, her son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (Tiger Pataudi) became the successor of these properties estimated to be valued at nearly Rs 15,000 crore, which were inherited by Saif Ali and his siblings.

The two appeals, one filed by Begum Suraiya Rashid and others, and another by Nawab Mehr Taj Sajida Sultan and others, all heirs of late Nawab Mohammad Hamidullah Khan, said the trial court in dated Feb 14, 2000 had dismissed their suits against what they called as unfair partition of royal property. Their lawyers said the partition of (Nawab’s) personal property should have been done between them and defendants Saif Ali, Sharmila and 16 other heirs as per the Muslim Personal Law. They opposed the (Pataudis) for citing the certificate issued by the Indian govt on Jan 10, 1962 in favour of Sajida Begum as the sole successor.

Justice Dwivedi said, “The trial court, without considering other aspects of the matter, had dismissed the suits. Thus...the impugned judgment and decree... are hereby set aside,” he said.