Himayat Ali Mirza, the great grandson of Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan, has urged the Telangana government to provide public access to restricted historical land records following a legal dispute over 42 acres of Bala Sai Baba Trust land in Kondapur between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In a media statement, Mirza requested Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to form a committee of legal experts to examine land records that would shed light on land ownership, particularly in prime localities including Kondapur and Gachibowli. He emphasized that large volumes of historical documents relating to Sarf-e-Khas (crown lands), jagirs, Paigah estates, inams, and endowed properties remain sealed in government custody, many written in Urdu and Persian.
Mirza argued that over decades, vast tracts of land historically linked to princely estates had been taken into government control or transferred to third parties through revised revenue entries and administrative regularization. He claimed these transfers often occurred without reconciliation with original titles. The Nizam’s descendant warned that legal experts and historians have cautioned about the far-reaching consequences of the absence of public and judicial access to these archives. He stressed that these records are widely acknowledged as primary evidence for determining ownership, succession, and legality of transfers prior to 1948.
Claiming to be the legal heir to the Nizam’s properties, Himayat Ali sought resolution through the constitution of a special judicial committee under independent supervision. He called for archival records to be preserved, secured, and unsealed, along with judicial examination of historical titles. The great grandson emphasized the need for equal and non-discriminatory access to records for all legal heirs and claimants, ensuring transparency in the process of determining rightful ownership of these historically significant properties.
In his statement, Mirza urged the government to prevent irreversible land decisions until historical ownership is conclusively reconciled. He stated that the current dispute over the Bala Sai Baba Trust land highlights the urgent need for clarity on historical land records and proper documentation of ownership chains. The request comes at a time when the legal battle between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the trust property has brought attention to broader questions about land ownership and the preservation of historical records related to the erstwhile Hyderabad State.
