Fresh row over Nizam’s properties in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A fresh row over the ownership of four heritage structures in the city including the Falaknuma and Chowmahalla palaces, and a bungalow in Ooty is on after Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, grandson of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan, approached the City Civil Court here contesting the ownership of the properties by Prince Mukarram […]

Hyderabad: A fresh row over the ownership of four heritage structures in the city including the Falaknuma and Chowmahalla palaces, and a bungalow in Ooty is on after Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, grandson of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan, approached the City Civil Court here contesting the ownership of the properties by Prince Mukarram Jah.

Najaf Ali Khan as per the 1950 ‘Instrument of Accession’ between the Government of India and the Nizam VII, these properties were approved, declared and acknowledged by the Union of India to be the private and personal properties of the Nizam. After his death, it was supposed to devolve upon his 16 sons and 18 daughters.

In 1957, the Nizam VII, through gift deeds, gifted the properties – Falaknuma Palace, King Kothi Palace / Nazri Bagh, Chowmahalla Palace, Purani Haveli and the Harewood and Cedars Bunglow in Ooty to Prince Mukkaram Jah, who was not in India at that time.

However, Mukkaram Jah executed a document informing the Nizam about his unwillingness to accept the gift for the reasons that he was unsure of his future and considered himself incapable to maintain these properties with the meager income he had. He orally gifted the above said properties back to the Nizam VII and himself executed a memorandum acknowledging the oral gift, Najaf Ali Khan said.

“Prince Mukkaram Jah, even after knowing well that he is not the absolute owner of these properties and that he returned them to the Nizam VII, has continued to act pretentiously like the sole owner of these properties. Through his GPA’s and advocates, he has deprived the other family members of their legitimate rights and shares and also misguided common public and government authorities,” Khan alleged, adding that authorities should were informed not to register these properties as the matter was subjudice in Court.

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