Who is demanding ownership rights on Red Fort? Delhi High Court rejected the petition

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court rejected the plea of ​​Sultana Begum, widow of the great-grandson of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II, seeking possession of the Red Fort. Begum had made this claim calling herself the legal heir. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela gave this decision on Friday. This decision has come on Begum’s appeal against the judge’s decision of December 2021. The court said that there has been a delay of more than two and a half years in the appeal, which cannot be forgiven.

Sultana Begum continues to assert her rights on the Red Fort

Sultana Begum was asserting her rights on the Red Fort. She said that she was a descendant of Bahadur Shah Zafar II. Therefore the Red Fort is his/her property. he/she had cited his/her ill health and the death of his/her daughter as the reason for delaying the appeal. But the court rejected his/her argument. The court said that this reason for delay of two and a half years is not sufficient.

Single bench had rejected the petition in 2021

In December 2021, a single judge had rejected Begum’s petition. The petition alleged illegal occupation of the Red Fort by the British East India Company. The court said that there is no justified reason for such a delay in coming to the court after more than 150 years.

What is Begum Lal’s argument?

The petition, filed through lawyer Vivek More, claimed that the family was deprived of their property after the first war of independence in 1857. The emperor was driven out of the country and the Red Fort was forcibly captured from the Mughals. The petition said that Begum is the owner of the Red Fort as she had inherited it from her ancestor Bahadur Shah Zafar II. Bahadur Shah Zafar II died on 11 November 1862 at the age of 82. It was also claimed in the petition that the Government of India is in illegal occupation of this property.

Court rejected the petition

The petition sought a direction to the Central Government to hand over the Red Fort to the petitioner or pay adequate compensation. Besides, compensation was also demanded for the alleged illegal occupation by the government from 1857 till now. The court said, ‘We find this explanation inadequate, as the delay is more than two and a half years. The petition was also rejected due to inordinate delay of several decades. The application for condonation of delay is rejected. As a result, the appeal is also dismissed. It is prohibited due to limitations.