Hyderabad, Nov 23: A grandson of the last Nizam Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan, Nawab Najaf Ali Khan has approached the City Civil Court challenging the sole ownership claim of Mukarram Jah of the five royal palaces — Falaknuma Palace, King Kothi palace/ Nazri Bagh, ChowMahalla palace, Purani Haveli (all in Hyderabad) and Harewood and Cedars Bungalow in Ooty (Tamil Naidu).

Prince Mukkaram Jah alias Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan claiming to be the sole owner of Nizam VII Prime Properties is totally baseless and erroneous, Nawab Najaf Ali Khan alleged in a release on Monday.

After Hyderabad State got integrated into India in January 25, 1950 an Instrument of Accession was entered between the Government of India and Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahdaur Nizam VII in his capacity as the Ruler for the merger of State of Hyderabad into Union of India, he said.

By virtue of this Agreement, the listed private and personal properties belonging to the Nizam VII were approved, declared and acknowledged by the Union of India to be the private and personal properties of Nizam VII.

The Properties which were entered in the said list were still in existence at the time of the death of late Nizam VII in Feb 24,1967.

After his death it was supposed to devolve upon his 16 sons and 18 daughters.

The Suit is filed seeking partition and separate possession with metes and bounds, for the five Royal palaces.

In 1957, Nizam VII gifted the five properties to Prince Mukkaram Jah through gift deeds but at that time , he was not present in India.

In reference to the gifts, Prince Mukkaram Jah executed a document informing Nizam VII, that he came to know about the execution of the gift deeds in his favour, he expressed his unwillingness to accept the gift for the reasons that he was unsure of his future and considered himself incapable to maintain the gifted properties with the meagre income that he had.

Prince Mukkaram Jah orally gifted the properties back to the Nizam VII and he himself executed a memorandum acknowledging the oral gift, said Najaf Ali Khan.

With great difficulties, Najaf Ali Khan said that he brought to light the existence of the gift refusal letter and memorandum of oral gift.

Prince Mukarram Jah, even after knowing well that he is not the absolute owner of the five properties and that he has returned them back to the original owner Nizam VII, has continued to act pretentiously like the sole owner of these properties, he said.

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.

As the case has been registered now we are also informing the concerned Authorities not to register the properties’ in full or part as the matter is subjudice in the court regarding sole ownership, Najaf Ali Khan added.(UNI)