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Supreme Court Rejects Mughal Descendant’s Petition to Claim Ownership of Red Fort
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Sultana Begum, the widow of the great-grandson of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar II, seeking ownership of Delhi’s Red Fort. The 17th-century Mughal fortress is among India’s most iconic historical landmarks.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna questioned the basis of the plea, remarking, “Why only Red Fort? Why not Fatehpur Sikri or the Taj Mahal?” The Chief Justice termed the petition “misconceived” and declined to entertain it.
Sultana Begum, a resident of Howrah, West Bengal, claimed to be a direct descendant of the Mughal royal family and argued that the Red Fort, once under Mughal control, was unlawfully taken by the British after the 1857 uprising. Following the rebellion, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II was exiled, and his properties were seized by the colonial government.
In her petition, Sultana Begum also sought financial compensation if the Red Fort could not be returned, citing historical ownership and invoking Article 300A of the Constitution, which protects individuals from being deprived of their property without legal authority.
This is not her first attempt to pursue legal recognition of her claim. In 2021, she approached the Delhi High Court with similar arguments, including a request for adequate financial support. She noted that the government had earlier acknowledged her late husband, Bedar Bakht, as a descendant of Bahadur Shah Zafar II and granted him a pension, which was transferred to her in 1980. However, she described the pension as insufficient for her living expenses.
The High Court dismissed her petition in 2021, and her appeal to the Supreme Court was similarly rejected—this time also citing procedural delays. Sultana Begum had attributed the delay in filing to ill health and lack of education.
The court’s rejection brings an end to yet another chapter in her long-standing legal campaign to reclaim Mughal heritage.
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