EOW seeks original papers in Saif Ali Khan family land probe
Bhopal, August 14: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has intensified its investigation into the properties sold by Aftab Jahan Begum, wife of Hamidullah Khan, the last Nawab of Bhopal State. Actor Saif Ali Khan and his family are also included in the scope of this investigation. The EOW has sought original documents from Saif Ali Khan regarding approximately 1,370 acres of land.
Action was initiated on Friday based on a complaint received by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the EOW Director General. The complaint demands a detailed investigation into the ownership, sale, and registration of former Nawabi properties in Bhopal as “enemy property.”
The EOW Bhopal had summoned social activist Amitabh Agnihotri to present evidence. Amitabh Agnihotri, along with his lawyer Prashant Pandey, submitted written evidence and documents. A legal dispute exists over Nawabi properties in the Kohefiza, Nayapura, and Halalpur areas of Bhopal. An investigation was demanded from the President and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Following this, the entire Nawabi family, including Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Saba Ali Khan, and Sharmila Tagore, has come under scrutiny. The complaint states that Saif Ali Khan had declared 1,370 acres of land as the Nawab’s personal property in the High Court. The investigation committee has been asked to clarify the current status of these lands. Nawab Hamidullah Khan’s elder daughter’s property was declared enemy property after she moved to Pakistan.
The complainant claims that Saif Ali Khan had declared approximately 1,370 acres of land as the Nawab’s personal property in the High Court. The investigation committee has been asked to clarify the current status and ownership documents of these lands. The case refers to Nawabi properties located in several areas of Bhopal, including Kohefiza, Nayapura, and Halalpur.
The complaint alleges that a thorough investigation of the records related to the ownership and purchase and sale of these properties is needed. The investigation is also examining which properties of the Nawab family fall under the category of enemy property and how they were subsequently used or transferred.
According to the complaint, in the 1959 revenue records, approximately 655 acres of land in Behta and approximately 102 acres in Bourbon were registered in the name of Aftab Jahan Begum. It is alleged that these properties were purchased and sold by concealing facts related to her Pakistani citizenship. However, the veracity of these allegations will only be clear after the investigation is complete.
The complaint states that on May 31, 1994, approximately 30.55 acres of land in Behta was recorded as being sold to a cooperative housing society for ₹30.55 lakh. ₹1.55 lakh was paid by check, while the remaining ₹29 lakh was agreed to be paid in four installments.
The complaint to the EOW also demands an investigation into the actions taken based on the directives of the Custodian Department, Mumbai, and the Bhopal Collector. In 2021 and 2022, instructions were issued to register certain properties belonging to the Nawab family as “enemy property.” Furthermore, the Pataudi family has been asked to provide original copies of the map signed by BP Menon on April 29, 1949, the merger agreement of April 30, 1949, and the property list prepared before June 1, 1949.
The complaint also demands a detailed investigation of the Nawab family’s lands spread across approximately 2,556 villages in the former Bhopal State. Citing a report by the former Principal Secretary, the complaint states that while approximately 1,395 acres of land was registered in the merger agreement, an additional 1,984.13 acres of land in nine villages was registered in the Nawab family’s name. It is necessary to investigate the purchase and sale of this additional land.
