Supreme Court Rejects Mughal Descendant’s Claim to Red Fort

Last Updated May - 05 - 2025, 02:23 PM | Source : Fela News

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea by a woman claiming descent from Bahadur Shah Zafar and seeking ownership of the Red Fort, calling the petition "completely m

On Monday, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by a woman claiming to be a descendant of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, who sought possession of the Red Fort based on her ancestry. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar deemed the plea “completely misconceived.” The bench remarked, “Why only Red Fort? Why not Fatehpur Sikri? Why leave them also?” and summarily rejected the petition.

The petitioner, Sultana Begum, asserted that she is the widow of Zafar’s great-grandson and thus entitled to claim ownership of the historic monument. She urged the court not to dismiss her petition purely on merits, highlighting that the Delhi High Court had previously turned down her plea on grounds of delay. Despite her claims of royal lineage, the apex court found no legal basis for granting such a request, reinforcing that historical legacy alone does not warrant ownership of national heritage sites.