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The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the appeal filed by one Sultana Begum, who sought to take possession of the Red Fort, claiming to be the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar II.
The bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ruled against her, confirming the December 2021 order by a single judge that had earlier rejected her petition. The bench observed that the appeal was filed over two and a half years after the stipulated time, and such a delay could not be excused. The Court also rejected the application for condoning the delay. In December 2021, the single bench of the Delhi High Court rejected the plea of a woman, claiming to be the widow of the great-grandson of the last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar, seeking direction to the Centre to hand over the Red Fort of Delhi to her or give adequate compensation. The bench stated that there is an inordinate delay while clarifying that it is not going into the merits. When the petitioner's counsel said that the client was illiterate and could not have approached the court, the judge said that this was no justification. The petitioner, Sultana Begum, stated that she is the rightful and legal heir of Mughal Badshah Bahadurshah Zafar II, the king of Delhi. "In 1857, the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was dethroned by the British East India Company and all of his assets were taken under custody by the British East India Company illegally. In 1960, the Government of India confirmed the claim of the late Bedar Bakht as the descendent and heir of Bahadurshah Zafar II. In 1960, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Union of India started giving pensions to Bedar Bakht, husband of the petitioner. On August 15, 1980, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India started giving pensions to Sultana Begum, the current petitioner. The Government of India is giving so less as pension," the plea stated. The petitioner alleged that the Government of India is having illegal possession of the Red Fort which is the ancestral property of the petitioner and the government is not willing to give any compensation or possession of such property, which is a direct violation of the petitioner's fundamental right and constitutional right in Article 300 A as well as human rights, therefore, she begs to move the court under of the Constitution of India. Sultana Begum is the widow of the Late Mirza Mohammed Bedar Bakht, great-grandson and legal and rightful heir of the last Mughal Emperor late Bahadur Shah Zafar II king of Delhi. On May 22, 1980, Mirza Muhammad Bedar Bakht died and on August 1, 1980, a pension to Sultana Begum was granted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi. The plea also sought direction to respondents to grant compensation to the petitioner from 1857 to till date for illegal possession by the Government of India (ANI)
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