Hodge Malek QC represents grandson of seventh Nizam of Hyderabad in successful claim to £35m held in British bank

Hodge Malek QC, instructed by Devonshires, acted for Prince Muffakham Jah in the Hyderabad Fund dispute, one of the most famous stalemates in English legal history. 70 years of deadlock was broken by the ruling of Marcus Smith J which found in favour of the claims of India and the grandsons’ of the 7^th Nizam to a Fund paid away in 1948 to Pakistan for ‘safe-guarding’ by one of the Nizam’s advisors. The present Pakistani government had argued that it was entitled to the money and initiated proceedings in 2013, thereby waiving the sovereign immunity it had asserted over the dispute since 1954. However following trial in June of 2019, the court has ruled that notwithstanding the transfer to Pakistan the 7^th Nizam remained “beneficially entitled to the fund and those claiming in right of the 7^th Nizam – the princes and India – are entitled to have the sum paid out to their order.

A copy of the judgment can be viewed here.