Owaisi claimed that Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani’s Rs 15000 crore house Antilia is built on Waqf land, they paid just Rs…, Mukesh Ambani got land…
Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani lives in Antilia — a 27-storey mansion on Mumbai’s Altamount Road. It’s one of the most luxurious private homes in the country, spread across 4,532 square meters and reportedly worth around Rs. 15,000 crore. While Antilia has always made headlines for its grandeur, it’s now back in the spotlight for a completely different reason — a land ownership controversy. The issue has gained traction following the recent passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The bill aims to modernize the regulation and oversight of Waqf properties—land donated for religious or charitable use under Islamic law.
During the discussions around this bill, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi stirred debate by claiming that the land Antilia was built on actually belonged to a Waqf trust. He alleged it was originally meant for an orphanage and a religious school, and questioned whether it was ever legally sold. This claim has reignited an old controversy, with old videos of Owaisi and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resurfacing, both making similar allegations about the land’s past.
According to reports, the land where Antilia now stands was originally donated to the Waqf Board in 1986 by Kareem Bhai Ibrahim. Years later, in 2002, it was sold to Mukesh Ambani for Rs. 21.5 crore. However, a report by Dainik Bhaskar claims that the sale did not follow the proper procedures laid out by the Waqf Board.
For such a transaction to be valid, it needed approval from at least two-thirds of the Board members, but no official meeting reportedly took place. The report also raised eyebrows over the involvement of the Charity Commissioner, noting that only the Waqf Board had the legal right to authorize the sale of Waqf land.
Back when Devendra Fadnavis was Chief Minister of Maharashtra, he said his government would act on the matter based on the findings. Despite that, the case has been tied up in legal proceedings for years. Notably, the Maharashtra Assembly had earlier clarified that land belonging to the Waqf Board cannot be sold for private purposes.
Waqf Amendment Act comes into force
The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 officially came into force on Tuesday after being published in the Gazette of India by the Central Government. President Droupadi Murmu gave her approval to the law on Sunday, just two days after it was passed in Parliament.
According to the notification, “the 8th of April, 2025” has been designated as the date when the new law takes effect. The Bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of April 4 after a lengthy 17-hour debate, while the Lok Sabha had passed it earlier that week.
The government says the amended law is designed to improve transparency and accountability in the management of Waqf properties. It also aims to ensure fair representation of different Muslim communities within the Waqf Boards.
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