Hyderabad court dismisses Azmet Jah plea on ₹10,000-crore Nizam palace case
HYDERABAD: The City Civil Court has dismissed an interlocutory plea by Azmet Jah and Shekhar Jah seeking to reject a partition suit filed by Nawab Najaf Ali Khan over five of the palaces belonging to the late Nizam VII, paving the way for a full-fledged trial.
Plea by Azmet Jah and Shekhar Jah dismissed by City Civil Court
The XI Additional Chief Judge of the City Civil Court, Hyderabad, on Tuesday dismissed Interlocutory Application (I.A. No. 79 of 2024) filed by Azmet Jah and Shekhar Jah in the partition suit (O.S. No. 404 of 2021). The case involves 232 defendants, including Indian Hotels Company Limited, which operates the Taj Falaknuma Palace.
Counsel Mohd. Adnan, son of late advocate Osman Shaheed, appearing for the plaintiff, argued that Najaf Ali Khan — a grandson and one of the rightful heirs of His Exalted Highness Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, Nizam VII — remains in constructive possession of the ancestral properties. He submitted that questions of ownership, possession and valuation can only be resolved through a full trial on merits.
The court, after examining the submissions and documentary material, agreed with the argument and dismissed the defendants’ plea to reject the plaint. Abul Faiz Khan and Faiz Bin Jung represented Azmet Jah and Shekhar Jah through their Special Power of Attorney.
Five royal properties worth over ₹10,000 crore listed in suit
The partition suit seeks division and separate possession of five prominent and historic palaces of the Nizam VII — Falaknuma Palace, Chowmahalla Palace, Purani Haveli, King Kothi Palace, and Harewood & Cedars Bungalow in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Experts estimate that the combined value of these properties will exceed ₹10,000 crore.
“This order is a reaffirmation of faith in justice and due process,” said Najaf Ali Khan. “The properties and heritage of my grandfather, H.E.H. Nawab Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, belong collectively to all legitimate heirs, not to any one individual. I am confident that the truth will prevail during the trial, and I stand prepared to approach the Telangana High Court and, if necessary, the Supreme Court of India, to assert and protect my rightful share in my grandfather’s legacy.”
