Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani’s family may have to vacate Rs 15000 crore Antilia because of new Waqf law due to…

India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, and his family could be facing a surprising legal twist that might force them to leave their iconic Mumbai residence, Antilia, a 27-storey, ultra-luxurious home valued at around Rs. 15,000 crore. The newly passed Waqf Amendment Bill — now officially an Act after President Droupadi Murmu’s approval — questions about the land on which Antilia stands are back in focus.

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi recently reignited the debate, claiming that the land where Antilia was built originally belonged to a Waqf trust. According to reports, the property was donated to the Waqf Board back in 1986 by one Kareem Bhai Ibrahim. He had allegedly given the land for purposes like religious education and building an orphanage.

However, in 2002, the land was sold to Mukesh Ambani for Rs. 21.5 crore. This sale, though, has been under scrutiny ever since. An Action Taken Report (ATR) presented in the Maharashtra Assembly noted that land under the Waqf Board is not meant for private sale or use. Moreover, a report by Dainik Bhaskar suggested that the legal process laid out by the Waqf Board wasn’t properly followed during the transaction.

Despite the legal questions, the Ambanis went ahead with the construction. Between 2006 and 2010, a US-based architectural firm helped design and build Antilia, which has since become one of the most famous private residences in the world.

The matter has been lying in the Supreme Court for years. But with the latest Waqf Act in place, legal experts believe the case could now take a new turn. If the court rules that the Waqf Board still holds rightful ownership of the land, the Ambanis may have no choice but to move out.

Will the Ambanis have to move out of Antilia?

According to Grok and various reports, the 4,532 square metre plot where Antilia now stands was originally intended for charitable use. It was owned by an orphanage and, back in 1986, reportedly handed over to the Waqf Board by Kareem Bhai Ibrahim for building an orphanage and a religious school. However, in 2002, the land was sold to Mukesh Ambani for Rs. 21.5 crore — a transaction that’s been under scrutiny ever since.

A decade ago, the Waqf Board submitted a report claiming the sale did not follow legal procedures. As per a Dainik Bhaskar article shared by Oneindia Hindi, the sale should have required a two-thirds majority approval from the Waqf Board — but no such meeting ever took place. The report also raised concerns over the involvement of the Charity Commissioner, stating that only the Waqf Board had the authority to approve such sales.

Back then, Devendra Fadnavis, who was Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the time, said his government would look into the matter based on the Board’s findings. The Maharashtra Assembly later reinforced the view that Waqf land is not supposed to be sold for private purposes.

The case has been pending in court for several years. There are now calls for a peaceful resolution between the Waqf Board and the Kareem Bhai Trust to bring clarity to the situation.

Interestingly, the sale happened despite public knowledge of the land’s disputed status. Even then, voices had raised concerns over the legality of the deal. Meanwhile, Mukesh Ambani and his family went ahead with building Antilia — a 27-storey marvel complete with a gym, spa, home theatre, temple, swimming pool, helipad, and even its own medical facilities.

Designed by the Chicago-based firm Perkins and Will, Antilia was completed between 2006 and 2010.

Land disputes involving Waqf properties are not uncommon in India. In 1950, the Waqf Board oversaw around 52,000 acres of land — a number that has grown to over 9.4 lakh acres as of 2025.

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