Hyderabad: Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, a grandson of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad, has filed a complaint with the city police against four of his relatives over a multi-crore fund dispute.
In his complaint filed Tuesday seeking registration of FIR, Najaf alleged that the four persons were involved in using an invalid ‘certificate of succession’ resulting in “misappropriation” of a £35-million fund (around Rs 306 crore) lying in the NatWest bank in the UK.
The complaint was against four legal heirs of the seventh and last ruler of the princely state — Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan alias Prince Mukarram Jah, his ex-wife and General Power of Attorney holder (GPA) Esra Berjin Jah, his son Azmath Jah and brother Prince Muffakham Jah.
The move came days after Najaf approached the Delhi High Court alleging that an invalid certificate, which recognises Prince Mukarram Jah as the eighth Nizam, was used in a UK high court during the proceedings of the Nizam funds case.
In the latest complaint, he alleged that “false and fabricated” evidence resulted in “misappropriation of fund belonging to H.E.H Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur Nizam VII”.
He also sought police protection saying the family is facing threats.
Speaking to ThePrint on the further course of action, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said “the matter will be examined legally”.
Also read: Kangana Ranaut, sister summoned again by Mumbai Police over social media comments
The Hyderabad Fund
This dispute is related to the sharing of the Hyderabad Fund, which was decided in favour of India and the Nizam’s legal heirs following a legal battle of over 70 years.
This is the money that Nizam’s finance minister transferred to the account of the high commissioner of Pakistan in the UK to fight Hyderabad’s case in the UN during the 1948 Police Action. The amount was £1 million, which has now grown to £35 million.
The money was claimed by India, Pakistan and the Nizam’s family and was frozen by the British Parliament amid the legal dispute.
Last year, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales ruled against Pakistan and said India and Nizam’s legal heirs were entitled to the money.
The dispute
In his complaint, Najaf Ali Khan said, “He (Prince Mukarram Jah) along with other accused fraudulently used the Certificate in order to cause wrongful gain to themselves and wrongful loss to the rest of the Legal Heirs of the VIIth Nizam of Hyderabad.”
The President of India, in 1967, issued a certificate to Prince Mukarram Jah as sole successor to his grandfather Nizam VII with rights over his properties. The same was reportedly adjudged by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1968.
However, the 26th Amendment in the Constitution in 1971, with the insertion of Article 363A, terms recognition to rulers and successors illegal, pointed out Najaf.
“…hence Prince Mukkaram Jah is no more a ruler of Hyderabad in succession to his grandfather H.E.H Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur and he is like any ordinary citizens therefore the Muslim Personal Law is applicable for the matter of inheritance,” Najaf said.
Najaf, who heads the Nizam’s Family Welfare Association, said the four persons were involved in “cheating, fraud, and forgery” and were trying to wrongly claim the fund.
Also read: AAP wants criminal negligence cases filed against Punjab, Haryana CMs for stubble burning
7th Nizam didn’t donate to war fund as told by the claimant. Read The Hindu daily, 18/11/2018. It was an investment for interest.