Nizam’s descendants ready for legal battle

HYDERABAD: A battle royale appears on cards as 120 descendants of the last Nizam of Hyderabad are ready to challenge in court any move to deny them their due share in 35 million pounds deposited in a London bank seven decades ago.
With the UK High Court on October 2 ruling in favour of India in the 70-year-old dispute, the focus is on the legal heirs of seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last ruler of Hyderabad State which acceded to India in 1948.
Descendants gearing up to claim their share With some reports following the court verdict suggesting that the money will go to Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the titular eighth Nizam and his younger brother Muffakham Jah, other descendants of the last Asaf Jahi ruler are gearing up to claim their share.
Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, one of the grandsons of Mir Osman Ali Khan, told IANS that it was he who took the initiative to get the money stuck in the bank by digging out old records and holding negotiations.
“If those two grandsons are the only claimants as being claimed, why were they sitting quiet till 2013,” he asked.
He claims that he had a solicitor in London to fight the case till 2016 but he was persuaded to come under Nizam Estate to jointly fight the case.