Today, On 25th March, The Supreme Court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed over 20 years ago seeking the conservation and restoration of Red Fort. The petition aimed to ensure the preservation of the historic monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Noting progress in its upkeep, the court deemed further intervention unnecessary. With this decision, the long-pending legal battle for Red Fort’s protection comes to an end.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) that had been pending for over two decades, which sought the restoration and conservation of the 17th-century Mughal-era monument, Red Fort.
The court stated that its expert panel had complied with most of the directives.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh addressed the plea filed by petitioner Rajeev Sethi in 2003, who argued that the monument’s conservation was not conducted according to international standards.
The Supreme Court noted that it had established a nine-member panel, including the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India, on August 6, 2004.
The bench stated,
“Since then, 20 years have passed, and we have no reason to believe that the expert committee has not complied with the court’s directions… If anything has not been done or if anything has been overlooked, the petitioner is free to file a fresh petition,”
The Supreme Court stated that in August 2004, it not only formed an expert panel but also issued detailed directives for the conservation of the Red Fort.
The bench addressed advocate Bina Madhavan, who represented Sethi, emphasizing that more than 20 years have passed since the court first considered the plea and that most directives have been fulfilled; thus, there is no reason to keep the petition pending any longer.
When it established the nine-member panel in 2004, the court instructed it to develop a comprehensive conservation management plan in line with internationally accepted standards and to take necessary steps for the monument’s restoration and preservation.
In November 2003, the Supreme Court had appointed senior advocate Harish Salve as amicus curiae to assist in the matter and to evaluate the renovation and restoration efforts conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India at the site.
The court also tasked Salve with verifying the petitioner’s claims that the restoration work at Red Fort did not meet international criteria.
Salve was directed to visit the Red Fort alongside the then Solicitor General Kirit Raval and the petitioner’s advocate Kapil Sibal, and to submit a report on their findings.