Nizam's great granddaughter sues for share of property

Hyderabad: A great granddaughter of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh and last Nizam of erstwhile Hyderabad state, has gone to court against the scion of the ex-royal family Mukarram Jah Bahadur, claiming he had deprived her of her share of the ancestral property.

Naqvia Zainab filed a case against Mukarram Jah, his former wife Esra, his brother Mufakkam Jah, and others for misappropriation of property and cheating.

She alleged in court yesterday that her uncle Mukarram Jah and others were threatening her with dire consequences if she pursued the case. She also filed a police complaint of trespass, intimidation, conspiracy, forgery and impersonation against them. Police, however, said no case was booked as the complaint was sent through speed post and the complainant did not present herself. A police official said yesterday the matter had now gone to the high court.

Legal battle

Zainab, a 29-year-old American citizen and granddaughter of Muazzam Jah Bahadur, son of Mir Osman Ali Khan, has arrived here to fight the legal battle for her share in the property left behind by Mir Osman Ali Khan, who ruled Hyderabad from 1911 to 1948 and was the world's richest man in those days.

Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the grandson and successor of Osman Ali Khan, has been living abroad. He married five women and is presently believed to be living in Turkey.

Zainab alleged that though Mukarram Jah was only the custodian of Nizam's property, he had siphoned off the wealth and was living a lavish life in Australia and other countries.

She alleged that some people on behalf of her uncle and Esra were threatening her ever since her arrival here November 8.

"I am entitled to a share of Rs135 million (Dh12.6 million) out of Rs2 billion the Nizam's Jewellery Trust received from the union government for Nizam's jewellery. This money was siphoned off in connivance with Mukarram Jah and Esra," Zainab said.

Hyderabad, the biggest and richest princely state under the British Raj, had Telangana and parts of present Karnataka and Maharashtra. Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty ruled it from 1720 to 1948.