The Supreme Court has stayed a recent Madhya Pradesh High Court order that had reopened the inheritance dispute over the vast royal estate of the late Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last ruler of Bhopal. The property, estimated to be worth more than ₹15,000 crore, has been at the center of a decades-long legal battle between the Nawab’s descendants. In 2000, a trial court had recognized Nawab’s daughter, Sajida Sultan, as the sole inheritor of the estate, with ownership passing to her children and their descendants, including actor Saif Ali Khan, his mother Sharmila Tagore, and his sisters Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan. The trial court’s decision was based on the rule of primogeniture, which allows the eldest child to inherit the entire estate.
The High Court, in its order dated June 30, 2025, set aside the trial court’s verdict, holding that the matter should be decided under the applicable personal laws rather than the principle of primogeniture. The High Court remanded the case back for fresh adjudication, effectively reopening the dispute. This decision was challenged before the Supreme Court by the descendants of the Nawab’s brother—Omar Faruq Ali and Raashid Ali—who argued that the High Court should have given a final ruling instead of sending the case back for retrial.
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul Chandurkar heard the matter and issued notices to all respondents, including Saif Ali Khan’s family. The Court observed that the remand order could have significant consequences and therefore required closer scrutiny. The bench granted an interim stay on the High Court’s order, meaning that the trial court’s earlier recognition of Sajida Sultan’s line as inheritors remains undisturbed for now. The Supreme Court has allowed four weeks for the respondents to file their replies.
The dispute traces back to Nawab Hamidullah Khan’s death in 1960, after which questions over succession to his private estate arose. Sajida Sultan, one of his daughters, claimed exclusive ownership, a position contested by other relatives. The trial court’s 2000 ruling had brought temporary closure, but the High Court’s recent intervention reignited the controversy. With the Supreme Court’s stay, the case now awaits further hearings that will determine whether the original trial court decision will stand or whether the matter will be re-examined in accordance with personal law provisions.
This interim order preserves the current legal position in favor of Saif Ali Khan’s family while putting on hold the High Court’s directive for a fresh trial. The outcome of the Supreme Court proceedings will be decisive for the future ownership of the Bhopal royal estate.
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