Don’t finalise lease distribution on Tajbagh land till further orders: HC

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court recently directed the civic administration not to finalise the lease distribution process on Tajbagh Bagh land until further orders. The Hazrat Baba Tajuddin Trust approached the court after the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) initiated a process to distribute ownership leases on the 84-acre Tajbagh land. Calling the civic administration's move arbitrary and unilateral, the trust told the court that the land, located within the Tajbagh premises associated with the revered shrine of Hazrat Baba Tajuddin, is its private property, and any interference by NMC violates established legal norms governing ownership rights.The Trust has contested the Maharashtra govt's reclassification of its private land as a slum area and govt property. The trustees argue that a recent govt notification illegally seized over 43 acres of their territory for public housing projects, ignoring the trust's established ownership rights.This land was originally slated for a multi-phase beautification project intended to enhance the area for visiting pilgrims and rehabilitate existing residents. The petitioners claim the state failed to conduct proper legal inquiries or consult the trust before making the declarations. Ultimately, the trust seeks to quash the notifications to protect its property from being subdivided and distributed to the general public.Secretary Taj Ahmad Raja alleged that NMC, in coordination with its slum department, has begun preparations for distributing pattas (ownership rights) without the trust's consent or knowledge. He termed the process "one-sided" and accused the administration of misleading local residents.The trust further pointed out that state-funded beautification work for the second phase of development on the same land has already been approved, raising questions over the timing and intent of the civic action. The trust demanded an immediate halt to all activities on the land and stopping the administration from taking "unilateral decisions without consultation".The matter will be taken up for further consideration in the court on June 19, 2026. The court directed that till the next date, the corporation shall not finalise the process. Trust chairman Pyare Jiya Khan alleged that some leaders have created confusion among residents regarding the patta distribution. He said that these persons would not be allowed to carry out any activities within the Tajbagh trust premises.