SOURCE: DECCAN CHRONICLE
Continuing his battle for what he calls his fair share of the £35 million of Nizam’s funds, Najaf Ali Khan, a grandson of the seventh Nizam Osman Ali Khan, is hoping that the Centre will do its part by taking note of what he called a ‘violation of the Indian Constitution’ by two other grandsons of the Nizam, Mukarram and Muffakam Jah.
It may be recalled that last year, the High Court of England and Wales ruled in favour of India and Mukarram and Muffakam Jah in the case relating to whom the money belongs to. The case relates to the deposit of £1 million belonging to the Nizam in 1948 in the National Westminster Bank. The bank subsequently froze the funds following an objection from the Nizam to the transfer of the money by Nawab Moin Nawaz Jung, the then finance minister, to Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola, the then high commissioner of Pakistan in the United Kingdom.
India, Pakistan, and the two grandsons of the Nizam lay claim to the funds which increased in value to £35 million (Rs -+307 crore) by the time the judgment was delivered last year.
Najaf Ali Khan contends that the judgment by the court in UK was based on an invalidated certificate that was presented by Mukarram Jah which recognised the latter as the eighth Nizam of Hyderabad. Khan contends that the certificate was rendered invalid after the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1968 and the Delhi High Court in 1969 quashed it as it was found to be in violation of Articles 363A substituting Article 366 Clause (22) of the Indian Constitution which ended recognition to the pre-Independence rulers or their successors.
Khan says he was unaware until July this year that the invalid certificate was presented in the UK courts and by presenting it, Mukarram and Muffakam Jah, violated the Indian Constitution.
The Centre should take action and defend the Constitution, he says, and hopes that this would render UK court verdict to be reopened and questioned and that justice will be done to him and other descendants of the Nizam who are fighting for their legal share of the vast inheritance.
