Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia Faces Legal Heat Once Again Over Alleged Waqf Land Sale – Spotlight Intensifies After Waqf Amendment Bill 2025

India’s most iconic and luxurious private residence, Antilia—owned by business tycoon Mukesh Ambani—is once again under legal and political scrutiny, as debates flare over its land origins linked to Waqf property. This renewed controversy comes amid the recent passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 by Parliament, rekindling questions about whether the land on which Antilia sits was ever legally sold.

Origins of the Controversy

The property in question, located on Altamount Road in South Mumbai, was reportedly part of a Waqf endowment—land meant to serve orphans under the Kareem Bhai Ibrahim Trust. In 2002, Mukesh Ambani purchased this 4,532.39 square metre plot for ₹21.5 crore. However, the transaction allegedly bypassed essential legal formalities required under the Waqf Act, particularly the approval of two-thirds of the Maharashtra Waqf Board.

A tabled Action Taken Report (ATR) in the Maharashtra Assembly previously highlighted these irregularities, stating that the Charity Commissioner authorized the land sale without the board’s formal nod, which is mandatory for all Waqf land transactions.

Political and Legal Reactions Resurface

With the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 passed and awaiting presidential assent, political figures such as Asaduddin Owaisi and Arvind Kejriwal have once again voiced concerns. Their earlier claims—that land meant for public welfare was turned into a billionaire’s residence—are gaining traction online.

Social media platforms are buzzing with AI chatbot responses, past political speeches, and viral videos that revisit the sale's legality, particularly since Waqf properties are deemed non-transferable under most interpretations of Islamic and Indian law.

Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 – A Catalyst for Renewed Scrutiny

The newly passed Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 aims to improve oversight over the country’s 9.4 lakh acres of Waqf properties through digitization, real-time monitoring, and stricter sale conditions. If the bill becomes law, old cases—especially those involving large-scale land misuse—may be reevaluated.

While the bill doesn’t directly target past sales, it empowers the Waqf Tribunal to revisit contentious cases, potentially opening doors to fresh legal battles.

⚖️ The Legal Knot: Can Antilia Be Reclaimed?

Legally, unless a competent court nullifies the 2002 sale, Antilia’s ownership is unlikely to change. However, activists argue that if the sale is proven invalid under Waqf laws, it could become a landmark case, with implications beyond Mumbai. The lack of prior Waqf Board approval remains central to ongoing debates.

So far, the Maharashtra government has not issued an official stance, nor has Reliance Industries or the Ambani family commented on the revived issue.

A Broader Problem

This case highlights a much larger issue in India—tens of thousands of Waqf properties across cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Lucknow remain either disputed, encroached, or underused. A 2022 government audit found only 13% of Waqf land was being utilized for its intended purpose.

The Antilia case has thus become symbolic: not just a question of wealth and real estate, but one of faith, public property governance, and legal clarity in modern India.