The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Sultana Begum, who claimed to be a descendant of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, and sought possession of the Red Fort on the basis of her lineage.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar found the plea to be entirely without merit.

“Why only Red Fort? Why not Fatehpur Sikri? Why leave them also? The writ is completely misconceived. Dismissed,” the Court remarked, rejecting the petition outright.

Begum's counsel urged the Court to dismiss the matter on grounds of delay, pointing out that the Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed her plea on that basis rather than on merits. However, the Supreme Court declined to follow suit and dismissed the case on its merits.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court’s Division Bench of Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Tushar Rao Gedela had dismissed her appeal in December 2024 due to a delay of over 900 days in filing the petition, which was initially rejected by a single judge in December 2021.

In her original 2021 petition, Begum claimed to be the widow of the great-grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar II. She argued that her family had been unlawfully dispossessed of the Red Fort by the British East India Company after the 1857 revolt, and that the fort remained in the illegal possession of the Government of India. She sought both possession and compensation.

However, the single-judge had rejected the plea, noting that the claim arose more than 164 years ago and was thus barred by delay. “Even if Bahadur Shah Zafar II was wrongfully deprived of property, how can a writ petition be entertained after such an inordinate delay, especially when the petitioner’s family has always been aware of the situation?” the Court observed.

Following the High Court’s dismissal, Begum appealed to the Supreme Court, which has now conclusively rejected her claim.