"Why only Red fort? Why not Fatehpur Sikhri?": Supreme Court rejects Roshan Ara's plea for Red Fort ownership

New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI): The Supreme Court dismissed the plea of Roshan Ara, who claims to be the descendant of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, seeking ownership of Delhi's historic Red Fort. The family, battling financial hardship, accused the government of ignoring their legacy and failing to acknowledge their contributions to the nation's history.
While speaking to ANI, Roshan Ara said that the petition was filed despite knowing the outcome, citing financial distress faced by the family.
"We claimed possession of the Red Fort. Although we knew we would not get this, we still filed a plea because we are going through a financial crisis. We belong to a family that has sacrificed for the nation," she said on Monday.
Expressing disappointment over the verdict, she added, "We claimed possession of the Red Fort. Although we knew we would not get this, we still filed a plea because we are going through a financial crisis. We belong to a family that has sacrificed for the nation...Today, our plea was rejected, which is an injustice to us. Bahadur Shah Zafar was always loyal to the country; he sacrificed everything. But in return, what did we get? We were loyal to the country, and in return, our plea is not being heard.."
She also recalled earlier efforts of Sultana Begum, claiming to be the widow of late Mirza Mohammed Bedar Bakht, the great-grandson of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, saying, "Sultana Ji also sought help many times, but the court has not done justice to us. The British did so much injustice to us. Now, if the government does not listen to us, where should we go?"
Roshan Ara pointed to the family's limited financial means, noting, "I don't know what our next move will be because we are not in a financial condition where we can go to the court every time." She urged the government to intervene."I request that the government take note of our family...There are several Mughal buildings in India from which the government generates revenue, but one of the families of the Mughals is forced to live like a poor...I request the government to look into this matter..."
Begum on Monday said she is "shattered" and will seek help from the public after the Supreme Court rejected her plea to seek possession of the Mughal emperor's house.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar dismissed her plea saying, "Why only Red fort? Why not Fatehpur Sikri? Why leave them also? Writ is completely misconceived. Dismissed."
Begum approached the apex court in an appeal against a division bench order of the Delhi High Court order which rejected her plea on December 13, 2024.
High Court's division bench had rejected her plea filed against the December 2021 decision of a single-judge bench of the court which also dismissed her plea.
On December 20, 2021, a single-judge bench of the High Court dismissed Begum's petition seeking possession of the Red Fort saying there was no justification for the inordinate delay in approaching the court after over 150 years.
Begum had said she was "the rightful owner of Red Fort as she inherited this property from her ancestor Bahadur Shah Zafar II and the government of India is illegal occupant of such property".
The plea sought a direction to the Centre to hand over the Red Fort to Begum or give adequate compensation, besides the compensation from 1857 to till date for alleged illegal possession by the government.
She said that in 1960, the government, under the Prime Ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru, had recognised Mirza Muhammad Bedar Bakht as the inheritor of Bahadur Shah and granted a political pension.
She also claimed that on August 15, 1965, Begum married Bedar Bakht, and after his death on May 22, 1980, Begum was granted a political pension by the then government from August 1, 1980. (ANI)