Orphanage to Opulence: The Contentious Waqf History of Mukesh Ambani's Antilia

Even as Parliament pushed forward with the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, it is striking that neither the defenders of Waqf autonomy nor the champions of state oversight invoked this high-profile case.

The Untold Story Behind Antilia’s Foundations

As Parliament debated the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025—culminating in one of the most polarising legislative showdowns in recent years—this towering private residence in Mumbai could well have served as a leitmotif for the broader concerns the Bill seeks to address. Antilia, the personal residence of India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, stands not just as a symbol of staggering wealth but also at the centre of a protracted dispute over Waqf land, orphanage trusts, and the apparent misuse of properties meant for Muslim charitable purposes. That its current use is anything but charity for Muslims is only the beginning of the paradox. There is no official word on whether the sale proceeds from this fiercely contested transaction lie frozen or have indeed been used to benefit the poor and deserving orphans for whom the original trust was created. In the irony of ironies, neither side of the aisle in Parliament deemed it worthy of mention—even as they sparred for over 12 hours, well into the early hours of the morning on two consecutive days, wrestling with precisely such concerns.

The Waqf Origins and the Orphanage Trust

The land on which Antilia now stands has a complex history dating back to charitable Muslim endowments. According to records, the property originally belonged to Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Orphanage Trust (also referred to as Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana), an orphanage established for underprivileged children. This was a charitable trust designated to provide maintenance and education for poor and destitute children belonging to the Khoja community.

However, there are conflicting accounts about when this land became a Waqf property. Some sources indicate that Karim Bhai Ibrahim waqfed (donated as an Islamic endowment) his ancestral land in 1986 with the understanding that the Maharashtra Waqf Board would construct an orphanage and educational institutions on this land. The designation of this property as Waqf land is at the heart of the subsequent legal disputes.

The Land's Value and Location

The property in question is situated in one of Mumbai's most elite neighbourhoods. The plot measures 4,532.39 square metres and was reportedly half of the original 9,000 square metre plot, with the other half having been taken over by the state government in 1984 for public facilities. Given its prime location in South Mumbai, conservative estimates valued the land between Rs 200 crore in 2002 and Rs 500 crore in 2007.

The Controversial Sale to Ambani's Company

The Transfer Process

In April 2002, the Currimbhoy Khoja Trust filed an application with the Charity Commissioner seeking permission to sell the land to Antilia Commercial Private Limited (ACPL), a company associated with Mukesh Ambani. The Charity Commissioner granted this permission on 27 August 2002. Following this approval, the land was sold to ACPL for approximately Rs 21 crore (with slight variations in the reported figure across different sources – Rs 210.5 million or Rs 21.5 crore).

This sale price has been a point of significant controversy, as it represented merely a fraction of the land's market value, which was estimated to be around Rs 150 crore at that time.

Government Approvals and Disputed Legality

Defenders of the sale point to multiple government approvals for the transaction. According to statements made by a representative named Aziz, eight government departments, including urban development, revenue, and income tax, had approved the transfer of the plot from the Trust to Antilia. It was also noted that two Muslim ministers, Syed Ahmed and Nawab Malik, were in the state cabinet when the land deal was cleared.

However, the transaction was later deemed illegal by the Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs, which issued a notice to Antilia Commercial citing that the sale violated Section 52 of the Wakf Act, 1995. This section deals with the recovery of Wakf property transferred in contravention of Section 51, which prohibits the sale of immovable property belonging to a Wakf without proper authorisation.

The Legal Battles Over Antilia's Land

Initial Challenges and Notices

After the sale was completed, the Maharashtra Wakf Board published a list of all properties it owned in 2003, which included this disputed land. Notably, this claim was not challenged by the trustees of the orphanage by filing any suit in the Wakf tribunal at that time.

When the Wakf Board learned about the sale, its CEO issued notices to both the orphanage trust and ACPL in 2004. Both parties contested the notices, arguing that the land was not Wakf property and therefore did not require the Wakf Board's permission for sale.

The Affidavit and 'Mischief' Allegation

In a significant development, Sandesh C Tadvi, the acting CEO of the Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs, filed an affidavit stating that a "mischief" had been committed when the then chairman and CEO passed a resolution on 9 March 2005, ratifying the sale of the land. This affidavit was submitted to the Bombay High Court in response to a petition filed by Abdul Mateen, a teacher and journalist from Jalna district of Maharashtra, who had challenged the sale of the Waqf land.

Court Proceedings and Appeals

The legal journey of this case has been complicated. The orphanage trust filed a petition in the Bombay High Court challenging the Maharashtra Wakf Board's claim that the property fell under Wakf jurisdiction. The High Court initially ruled in favour of the trust, but the Wakf Board subsequently challenged this decision in the Supreme Court.

In an order dated 21 July 2017, a Bombay High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur directed the State Board of Wakfs to clarify their stand on challenging the Charity Commissioner's permission for the sale of the orphanage land.

The Procedural Irregularities

Waqf Board Approval Process

One of the key allegations regarding the sale is that proper procedures were not followed. According to some reports, the Waqf Board sold the land by obtaining approval from only 5 members out of a 9-member committee, instead of securing the required two-third majority. This procedural irregularity has been cited as evidence of impropriety in the transaction.

Conflict of Laws

The controversy also centres around a conflict between two legal frameworks: the Bombay Public Trust Act of 1950 and the Wakf Act of 1995. While the original owners of the land, the Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Orphanage, sold the land in 2002 as they were entitled to do under the Bombay Public Trust Act, the property actually fell under the jurisdiction of the Wakf Act of 1995, which governs properties set aside for Muslim charitable purposes.

Construction and Current Status

Despite the ongoing legal battles, construction of Antilia began in 2006. The building was named after a mythical Atlantic Ocean island that, according to legend, gave refuge to seven Christian bishops fleeing Muslim conquerors.

The structure has become an iconic part of Mumbai's skyline and is renowned for its extravagance. A 2014 estimate by Forbes put the construction cost between Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 crore, and the British tabloid Daily Mail ranked it as the world's most expensive privately-owned building.

The current status of the litigation remains unclear from the available information. While various court proceedings have occurred over the years, the search results do not definitively state whether the case has been resolved or remains pending in the Supreme Court.

Absence from Parliamentary Debates

Interestingly, despite the high-profile nature of this property dispute, there appears to be no significant mention of Antilia's Waqf controversy during the recent parliamentary debates on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in 2025. The Lok Sabha passed this bill on 2 April 2025, with 288 members voting in favour and 232 voting against it. The Rajya Sabha subsequently approved the bill with 128 votes in favour and 95 against.

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced several changes to the governance of Waqf properties in India, including provisions for non-Muslims to be appointed to Waqf boards, new requirements for documenting Waqf property claims, and increased government oversight. While these changes could theoretically impact cases like Antilia's in the future, the specific case does not appear to have been explicitly referenced during the parliamentary discussions.

Public Discourse and Political Commentary

The controversy has occasionally surfaced in political discourse. In September 2022, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal publicly claimed that Mukesh Ambani's house was built on Waqf Board land, suggesting that had his government been in power in Maharashtra, the structure would have been demolished. This statement indicates that the dispute continues to resonate in India's political landscape, yet intriguingly, no allusion to it was made in either House of Parliament or in any mainstream media—whether print or electronic—where a tomb-like, eerie silence has prevailed.

Conclusion: A Monument to the Unspoken

he story of Antilia's land encapsulates broader issues regarding the management and oversight of Waqf properties in India. That one of the country's most prominent landmarks stands on land with disputed Waqf status—its use now a far cry from charitable intent—exposes the contradictions at the heart of India's legal and governance systems, especially within the framework of the Waqf and charity laws. As Parliament pushes forward with reform, it is striking that neither the defenders of Waqf autonomy nor the champions of state oversight invoked this high-profile case. Whether due to discomfort, political calculus, or simple omission, the silence is telling. Antilia continues to rise as both a monument to wealth and a silent witness to unresolved questions of faith, law, and justice—while the poor and needy Muslim children, for whom the land was originally intended, remain orphans still, both literally and metaphorically.

Surah Ad-Duhaa (93:6–9)

"Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? … Therefore, do not oppress the orphan."
(Qur'an 93:6, 93:9)

These verses, revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — himself a posthumous child —resonate deeply with our theme: divine compassion stands where human systems fail.