Supreme Court Dismisses Mughal Descendant’s Claim to Red Fort Ownership
- Posted on May 5, 2025
- News
- By Arijit Dutta
- 102 Views
The Supreme Court rejected Sultana Begum’s plea claiming ownership of the Red Fort as a Mughal heir, calling it legally baseless and delayed by over a century. The court upheld earlier rulings, emphasizing the need for timely legal action and dismissed her demand for property restoration or compensation.
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a petition by Sultana Begum, who claimed to be the widow of the great-grandson of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar-II. She sought possession of Delhi's iconic Red Fort, asserting herself as a rightful heir to the monument. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar found the plea "misconceived" and "meritless," refusing to entertain the case.
The court questioned the legitimacy of the claim and noted the delay in filing the petition, which was originally dismissed by the Delhi High Court. That decision had highlighted a delay of over two-and-a-half years in appealing a 2021 ruling, which itself cited a 150-year gap as unjustifiable. The High Court also denied the application for condoning the delay, finding the explanation—citing health issues and a family death—insufficient.
Sultana Begum’s plea had argued that the British East India Company wrongfully seized the Red Fort after the 1857 rebellion and subsequent exile of Bahadur Shah Zafar-II. She claimed that the current occupation by the Indian government was illegitimate and either the fort should be returned or adequate compensation provided.
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The Supreme Court, however, maintained that such historical grievances, especially when raised after more than a century, hold no legal weight in present-day jurisprudence. It also rejected the attempt to withdraw the petition, underlining the lack of legal substance in the argument.
The judgment reaffirms the principle that the passage of time and delay in legal action can render even historically significant claims legally void.
