The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition filed by a woman asserting herself as a descendant of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and seeking ownership rights over Delhi’s Red Fort.
“Why only Red Fort? Why not Fatehpur Sikri? Why leave them also. Writ is completely misconceived. Dismissed,” the bench remarked, dismissing the plea outright.
The woman, presenting herself as the widow of Mirza Mohammed Bedar Bakht purportedly the great-grandson and legal heir of Bahadur Shah Zafar had originally gone to the Delhi High Court in 2021. Not only did she claim ownership of the Red Fort in her plea, but she also demanded compensation from the Union government for what she described as its “illegal occupation” of the historic monument.
Yet, a single judge bench of the Delhi High Court dismissed her request, noting that the petition was made following an ‘inordinate delay of over a century’. The court labeled the appeal as a ‘gross misuse of time’.
She subsequently challenged this ruling, but the High Court division bench also rejected the appeal, observing that even the appeal against the single judge’s order had been made after more than two years’ delay.
After the Delhi High Court ruling in December of last year, the petitioner approached the Supreme Court. On Monday, when the bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud indicated its willingness to reject the case, her lawyer contended that the division bench had knocked back the plea on grounds of delay alone and implored the top court to follow suit.
However, the Supreme Court took a step beyond and rejected the petition on merits, refusing to confine its decision to procedural delays.
