The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea by a woman claiming to be the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar II of the Mughal dynasty, seeking the capture of the Red Fort in the national capital.
According to the petition, his family property was taken away by the British East India Company after the First War of Independence in 1857, after which the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was exiled from the country and took possession of the Red Fort. Mughals.
The petitioner sought adequate compensation or any other relief deemed appropriate for the capture of the Red Fort or the ‘illegal occupation’ by the Government since 1857.
Hearing the matter, a bench of Justice Rekha Palli said, “My history is very weak, but you claim that injustice was done to you by the British East India Company in 1857. Why is there a delay of more than 150 years? You What were you doing for all these years?”
The court also noted 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 that Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British, but if his successors do not file a petition, can she do so,” Justice Palli asked.
Advocate Vivek More, appearing for the petitioner, argued that Begum was an illiterate woman. However, the court dismissed the petition holding that the petitioner is an illiterate woman, so there is no reason why the predecessors of the petitioner were aggrieved by any action of the East India Company, at the relevant time or soon in this regard. No step was taken. After that.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma appeared for the government.
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