HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday provided notices to Union federal government, Nizam Trust and 2 grandsons of Nizam, Prince Mukarram Jah, and his more youthful sibling Muffakham Jah, on a petition filed by Princess Shafiya Sakina, great-granddaughter of Nizam VII, difficult exemption of female legal heirs from benefitting out of the 35 million pound funds of Hyderabad's Nizam Osman Ali Khan held in London's NatWest Bank.Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili directed all of them to respond on the petition submitted by Shafiya in 4 weeks, pending admission of the plaint.
Shafiya Sakina had filed a petition before the High Court declaring that the Union of India has actually overlooked female legal successors and eliminated their home rights by participating in a Confidential Settlement with the titular Eighth Nizam, Prince Mukarram Jah, and his younger sibling Muffakham Jah.The petitioner prompted the court to declare such settlement or arrangement unlawful and arbitrary .
She further looked for a directive to include all beneficiaries of Nizam Trusts in getting the advantage of 35 million pounds.
In this regard, the great-granddaughter of Nizam VII gave the notification of the High Court that already 34.5 million funds have been withdrawn by Prince Mukarram Jah, Muffakham Jah and, along with Union of India, dispersed based on their confidential contract.
The fund in concern associates with pounds 1 million transferred to National Westminster Bank by then finance minister of Hyderabad State, Nawab Moin Nawaz Jung, from Hyderabad to London in September 1948.
This was when the then Government of India undertook Operation Polo to ensure that the Hyderabad State joined India.
Consequently, the transfer was revoked by the Nizam stating it was unauthorised .
The National Westminster Bank then froze the account until the rightful claim is developed.
In the interim, the fund grew to pounds 35 million or Rs.
37 crore.
Subsequently, in October 2019, the High Court of England and Wales ruled the total up to remain in favour of Government of India, Prince Mukarram Jah and Prince Muffakham Jah.
However, the ratio of respective shares has actually not been made public.Shafiya Sakina then laid claim to the fund, stating the judgment breached law as Nizam had set up 28 trusts to take care of different properties and called his kin as trustees of these trusts.
She contended that all these trustees are legal heirs and the fund must be distributed to all.
She further pointed out that no court in India has actually declared Prince Mukarram Jah and Prince Muffakham Jah as sole beneficiaries of the Nizam Fund.