A resident of a slum in West Bengal’s Howrah, Sultana said that she is the widow of the Mughal emperor’s great-grandson Mirza Mohammad Bedar Bakht, who had “successfully escaped from Rangoon”.
New Delhi: A petition filed by a woman seeking possession of the Red Fort on the ground that she is the legal heir of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar II was rejected by the Delhi High Court on Monday. Sultana Begum, claimed that she was the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar II. It was argued that her family had been deprived of their property by the British East India Company following the first war of Independence in 1857, after which Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled from the country and possession of the Red Fort was taken away from the Mughals. In her alternative prayer, 68-year-old Sultana Begum sought compensation from the government for the alleged illegal possession.
A resident of a slum in West Bengal’s Howrah, Sultana said that she is the widow of the Mughal emperor’s great-grandson Mirza Mohammad Bedar Bakht, who had “successfully escaped from Rangoon”. The petition stated that Bakht was recognised as the inheritor of Bahadur Shah II in 1960 by the Government of India and after the former’s death, she started receiving pension.
First explain the delay and latches in approaching the court. Forget about whether you can be owner or not because the first line of your petition (is) that there was injustice caused to you by the British East India Company,” Justice Rekha Palli told the counsel representing the petitioner at the outset of the hearing.
Why the delay of 150 years? court asked
The case was heard by the Bench of Justice Rekha Palli, who questioned the counsel as to why there was a delay of more than 150 years in the family approaching the court. “My history is very weak, but you claim injustice was done to you by the British East India Company in 1857. Why is there a delay of over 150 years? What were you doing for all these years?” Justice Palli asked.
The Court further remarked that there was no document to support the claim that the petitioner was related to the last Mughal emperor.
“You have not filed any inheritance chart. Everyone knows Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British, but if his heirs did not file any plea can she do it,” Justice Palli queried.
The petitioner’s counsel sought to justify the delay by stating that Begum was an illiterate woman. However, the Court rejected the argument and said there was no justification for why steps were not taken on time.
The petition was, therefore, dismissed on the grounds of inordinate delay.
As the Court dictated its order, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma remarked that he was grateful that the government had not been deprived of the Red Fort.
