Govt may gain control over Pataudi family's Rs 15,000 crore property in Bhopal: Report
Bhopal: The central government can take over the historical properties of the Pataudi family estimated to be worth Rs 15,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh under provisions of the Enemy Property Act, 1968, as per a ruling by the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
The HC lifted the stay imposed on these properties in 2015, potentially paving the way for their acquisition under the Enemy Property Act, 1968, as reported by NDTV.
Some of the properties included in the ruling are Flag Staff House, the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, Dar-Us-Salam, Bungalow of Habibi, Ahmedabad Palace, Kohefiza Property, among others. The Enemy Property Act allows the government to seize control of properties belonging to persons who migrated to Pakistan after the Partition.
Bhopal's last Nawab, Hamidullah Khan, had three daughters. One of them migrated to Pakistan, while his second daughter, Sajida Sultan, stayed in India and married Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, and became the legal heir.
Saif Ali Khan is Sajida's grandson ,and he inherited a share of the properties. However, the government is citing the migrant daughter as grounds to take control of the properties, NDTV mentioned.
Justice Vivek Agarwal, in his ruling, stated that the amended Enemy Property Act, 2017, provides a statutory mechanism for addressing disputes. "If a representation is filed within 30 days from today, the appellate authority shall not advert to the aspect of limitation and shall deal with the appeal on its own merits," the report said, quoting the court.
Meanwhile, 1.5 lakh residents are anxious about the potential takeover after the government has been pushing forward its plans to conduct surveys and determine ownership.
"The stay has been lifted, but merging these properties under the Enemy Property Act is complicated. The Pataudi family still has a chance to appeal," one of the residents of these properties told the publication.
"The government is claiming these properties, but many have been sold or leased over the years. This issue is far from straightforward,” another resident said.
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Doctor duped of Rs 8.5 lakh with promise of MPH seat in UK: Udupi police arrest 3
Udupi: Three people were held by the Udupi Town Police on Tuesday for allegedly duping a person of Rs 8.5 lakh by promising a seat for a Master of Public Health (MPH) course in the United Kingdom.
The police have arrested Suman S (24) of Hosanagar in Shivamogga and Suhan Khan (22) and Mohammad Mahaz (23) from Moodbidri, and seized cash of Rs 5 lakh along with an SUV and two mobile phones that were being used by the arrested trio, reports Times of India.
The fraud victim, Santhosh E, who filed the police complaint on January 9, told the police that he had obtained a degree in General Medicine. Hoping to study further in the UK, traveled to Dubai, where he met Aftab and agreed to pay Aftab Rs 18 lakh to get a seat in the UK for a Master’s degree. Santhosh was initially asked by Aftab to pay Rs 8.5 lakh for a confirmation of the seat, but, as the complainant did not have a Non-Resident Account (NRA), Aftab asked him to contact an acquaintance, Suman S in Udupi. During the meeting with Suman near the MTR Hotel in Moodanidambur village in Udupi, Santhosh handed over Rs 8.5 lakh.
After the process, however, Aftab avoided Santhosh’s calls, said the complainant, adding before the police that he had been deceived with the promise of the MPH seat in the UK.
The Udupi Town Police team, led by Inspector Ramachandra Nayak and Sub-inspector Eeranna Shiragumpi, probed the case, along with SIs Puneet Kumar and Bharatesh, among other personnel, and arrested the accused Aftab and Suman. They have also held Mahaz under charge of involvement in the case.
The arrested men have been presented before the court.
