Delhi High Court Dismisses Plea for Red Fort Possession by Mughal Descendant

The Delhi High Court rejected a plea by Sultana Begum, widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar-II, seeking possession of the Red Fort. The court dismissed the appeal due to a delay in filing and lack of justification for such delay, stating the petition was time-barred.

The Delhi High Court, on Friday, revoked the petition of Sultana Begum, the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar-II, to claim ownership of the Red Fort, citing the lengthy delay in filing the case.

The bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, noted that the appeal came over two-and-a-half years too late. Citing Begum's health condition and personal losses as reasons for the delay, the court found these explanations inadequate.

Filed through advocate Vivek More, the petition asserted the Red Fort was unlawfully taken from her ancestor post-1857. The Court confirmed the dismissal due to the time elapsed since the alleged dispossession in the 19th century, resulting in the appeal being legally inadmissible.

(With inputs from agencies.)