Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan are set to receive a significant refund from the Maharashtra government, based on reports. The state is likely to approve a petition filed by the couple seeking the return of approximately Rs 9 crore, which they claim was an excess payment made for the land on which their iconic residence, ‘Mannat’, stands.
‘Mannat’, a sprawling bungalow in Bandra West, is situated on land originally leased from the state government. The Khans purchased the property from the original leaseholder. As part of the process to convert the leased land into freehold ownership, the state levies a fee based on the difference between the market value and the government’s ready reckoner rate.
However, in this case, it is alleged that the state authorities mistakenly calculated the conversion fee based on the value of the entire bungalow, including the structure, instead of solely the land value. This “unintentional error” was discovered by the Khans in September 2022.
Following this discovery, Gauri Khan submitted a representation to the Mumbai Suburban District Collector, seeking a refund of the excess amount, estimated to be around Rs 9 crore. The collector has subsequently forwarded this request to the state government for final approval.
According to a report the state officials have confirmed that the government is likely to approve the refund request. Once approved, the excess payment will be returned to the Khans.
This development comes as a relief for the Bollywood couple, who had inadvertently overpaid for the conversion of their iconic residence.