Hyderabad: Najaf Ali files plaint in Nizam funds case

Hyderabad: Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, grandson of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan, on Tuesday lodged a complaint with Hyderabad police, seeking registration of FIR against his cousin Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan alias Prince Mukarram Jah for using 'invalid' certificate of succession in UK High Court in the Nizam funds case.

Najaf Ali Khan also sought First Information Report (FIR) against Prince Mukarram Jah's ex-wife and general power of attorney Esra Berjin Jah and his brother Prince Muffakham Jah.

Najaf Ali Khan met Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar to hand over the complaint, alleging that the 'economic offence' involves cheating, fraud, forgery, misrepresentation, giving false and fabricated evidence resulting in misappropriation of funds belonging to the VIIth Nizam. "We submitted to the Commissioner of Police a complaint which contained details on usage of the invalid certificate of succession in UK High Court in the Nizam funds case, issued by the Government of India to Nawab Mir Barkat Ali Khan alias Prince Mukarram Jah dated Feb 27, 1967 as sole successor to his grandfather Nizam VII. He 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 complainant said.

"We informed him that after the 26th Amendment Act, 1971 in the Constitution of India by the insertion of Article 363A the said certificate had become null and void and hence ultra-vires to the Indian Constitution. Prince Mukarram Jah is no more a ruler of Hyderabad in succession to his grandfather Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur and he is like any ordinary citizen of India. Therefore, the personal law of inheritance is applicable for the matter of inheritance," he added.

Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, who is also president of Nizam Family Welfare Association and one of over 100 heirs to the Nizam VII Estate, sought security for him and family members saying they face threats. He argued that based on this certificate the UK court last year ordered that 35 million British Pounds (Rs 333 crore) cash be divided between Indian government and Mukarram Jah and his brother Muffakham Jah.

He told IANS that the police commissioner assured to look into the petition and refer it to the legal team for further action. He was a party to the proceedings in the Nizam Funds case in the UK High Court on behalf of other heirs of Nizam VII and claiming their inheritance as per Law of Inheritance under Shariat Law. Last year, the UK court had ruled in favour of India, the titular eighth Nizam of Hyderabad and his brother.

They had earlier reached a confidential agreement in a decades-old legal dispute with Pakistan over funds belonging to the VII Nizam at the time of Partition in 1947. Najaf Ali Khan on behalf of 116 heirs of the VII Nizam, had sought a review of the case but the court dismissed his petition. The dispute revolved around 1,007,940 pounds and nine shillings transferred in 1948 from VII Nizam, the last ruler of then Hyderabad State to the high commissioner in Britain of the newly-formed state of Pakistan. That amount deposited in NatWest Bank had since grown in a London bank account into 35 million pounds as the Nizam's descendants, supported by India, claimed it belonged to them and Pakistan counter-claimed that it was rightfully theirs.

India had raised an objection to the transfer, saying the Nizam was not an independent ruler and prevailed upon the bank to freeze the account. Since then, the matter was hanging in fire.