Antilia Faces Supreme Court Heat Again Over Alleged Waqf Land Encroachment
### *By Ahmed Sohail Siddiqui | Senior Journalist, Chief Editor, www.HudaTaha.com*
**Published: April 16, 2025**
Bench Headed by CJI Sanjeev Khanna to Hear Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas’s Landmark Petition Alongside 72 Other Waqf Matters
**New Delhi** – In a major development that could shake up one of India’s most high-profile real estate controversies, the Supreme Court of India has listed for hearing a petition by **Dr. Syed Advocate Ejaz Abbas**, a legal crusader against illegal encroachments on Waqf land. His petition challenges the construction of **Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia**, alleging that it stands on *Bagh-e-Kareem Yateemkhana*, a Waqf property originally designated for orphan welfare.
This landmark plea is scheduled for a separate hearing before a bench led by **Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna**, alongside 72 other Waqf-related cases.
Key Allegations & Constitutional Questions Raised:
1. **Why are Muslims excluded from the Union Cabinet?**
The petition questions the **complete absence of Muslim ministers** in the current BJP-led government, calling it institutional marginalization.
2. **Why was the 2014 Waqf Eviction Bill buried?**
Dr. Abbas points to the **Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Bill, 2014**, passed by the Rajya Sabha on 18 Feb 2014. Had it been enacted, Antilia could be removed from Waqf land **within 15 days**.
3. **How can ‘Waqf by Usage’ be abolished?**
The petition defends **Section 40**, which protects *deemed Waqf* arising from public religious use, often established by Sufi saints who had no heirs.
4. **No CBI probe in Waqf scams in UP & Telangana?**
Despite several letters from the Central Waqf Council (CWC), the government has failed to initiate any **CBI investigation** into massive corruption by Waqf boards.
5. **Why was the CWC sidelined on the 2025 Amendment?**
The latest amendment, as per the petition, was pushed without consulting the statutory body, enabling “Waqf land mafia” to flourish.
Political Implications:
Dr. Abbas’s petition directly confronts political figures like **Asaduddin Owaisi (Deshpande)** and **AIMPLB**, calling them “proxy petitioners” and “Waqf mafia” working in tandem with those in power. He thanked the Court for segregating his petition from theirs.
हिंदी में (संक्षेप): एंटीलिया वक्फ ज़मीन विवाद पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट में सुनवाई
मुकेश अंबानी की इमारत **एंटीलिया** पर एक बार फिर सवाल उठे हैं। **डॉ. सैयद एजाज़ अब्बास** की याचिका में इसे वक्फ ज़मीन पर बना बताया गया है। याचिका 2014 के वक्फ बेदखली विधेयक और 2025 के संशोधन अधिनियम की तुलना करते हुए सरकार पर सवाल उठाती है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट की **मुख्य न्यायाधीश संजीव खन्ना** की पीठ आने वाले दिनों में इस पर सुनवाई करेगी।
اردو میں (خلاصہ): انٹیلیا ایک بار پھر وقف تنازعہ میں، سپریم کورٹ میں بڑی سماعت
**ڈاکٹر سید اعجاز عباس** کی جانب سے دائر درخواست میں دعویٰ کیا گیا ہے کہ انٹیلیا ایک یتیم خانہ وقف زمین پر بنایا گیا ہے۔ عدالت میں یہ مقدمہ چیف جسٹس سنجیو کھنّا کی سربراہی میں سنا جائے گا۔ درخواست میں وقف ترمیم 2025 کو غیر منصفانہ اور کرپٹ عناصر کے حق میں قرار دیا گیا ہے۔
**Editor’s Note:** This case, if decided in favor of the petitioner, could **change the fate of high-profile real estate structures** like Antilia and trigger a larger reckoning on Waqf land misuse across India.
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