Sunni Wakf Board Retracts Claim Of Ownership of Taj Mahal; Supreme Court Left Fuming!
The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board has also said that they do not have any documents signed by the descendants of Shah Jahan.
Mumbai, April 17: A week after the Supreme Court (SC) had rebuked their claim, the Sunni Wakf Board has denied that they will not be staking any claim on the ownership of Taj Mahal. The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Wakf Board has also said that they do not have any documents signed by the descendants of Shah Jahan.
The bench comprising of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, in its observing, said that once the Board has staked a claim to the marble monument, it has to adjudicate the issue. In its observing, the Apex court said that "Once you have registered the monument as a Wakf property, your statement that you will not be staking claim will not help."
In its previous observing the three-judge bench had said that all the monuments built by Mughal Emperors were in possession of the British for 250 years, during their rule. Post that, the ownership was passed on to the Central government.
The Apex Court, on April 11, had lambasted the Wakf Board, asking them to produce signed documents from the Mughal Emperor. The CJI had then asked the Wakf Board, “When was it given to you? I want to see Shah Jahan’s signature if there’s any such document.”
Earlier in the week, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal saw its entry-gate being break down due to extreme weather conditions. As per the reports, the 12-feet-long metal pillar, referred to as Darwaza-e-Rauza, had collapsed due to heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 17, 2018 04:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).