The Supreme Court on Monday refused to extend the deadline for the mandatory registration of all waqf properties, including those categorised as ‘waqf by user’, on the UMEED portal.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih asked the petitioners to seek relief from the concerned tribunals instead of the apex court.
"Our attention has been drawn to the proviso to Section 3B. Since the remedy before the tribunal is available before the applicants, we dispose of all the applications by granting them liberty to approach the tribunal by the last date of the six month period," the bench said.
However, if any applicant is facing a genuine difficulty in registering Waqf properties on the portal can seek an extension of the deadline from the Tribunal, the apex court said.
"If the time freezes (in the Portal), you cannot be held responsible. If the Tribunal allows you, your six months will be counted and your application will be considered. You do not require permission. If difficulty arises, you can always apply to us", the Court said.
Filed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and several other applicants, the petition sought more time, arguing that the six-month period for mandatory registration of waqf properties was coming to an end and required extension.
The interim order issued by the top court on September 15 had paused a few provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the clause restricting the creation of waqf to only those practising Islam for the last five years.
However, the court had declined to stay the entire Act, noting the presumption of constitutionality. It had also held that the Centre’s decision to delete the ‘waqf by user’ clause from the amended law was not arbitrary, and the argument that waqf lands would be seized by governments held "no water."
‘Waqf by user’ refers to recognising a property as waqf on the basis of historic, uninterrupted use for religious or charitable purposes even without a written declaration by the owner.
The Centre launched the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development) portal on June 6 to create a digital inventory of waqf assets through geo-tagging.
Under the mandate, details of all registered waqf properties across the country must be uploaded to the portal within six months.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih asked the petitioners to seek relief from the concerned tribunals instead of the apex court.
"Our attention has been drawn to the proviso to Section 3B. Since the remedy before the tribunal is available before the applicants, we dispose of all the applications by granting them liberty to approach the tribunal by the last date of the six month period," the bench said.
However, if any applicant is facing a genuine difficulty in registering Waqf properties on the portal can seek an extension of the deadline from the Tribunal, the apex court said.
"If the time freezes (in the Portal), you cannot be held responsible. If the Tribunal allows you, your six months will be counted and your application will be considered. You do not require permission. If difficulty arises, you can always apply to us", the Court said.
Filed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and several other applicants, the petition sought more time, arguing that the six-month period for mandatory registration of waqf properties was coming to an end and required extension.
The interim order issued by the top court on September 15 had paused a few provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, including the clause restricting the creation of waqf to only those practising Islam for the last five years.
However, the court had declined to stay the entire Act, noting the presumption of constitutionality. It had also held that the Centre’s decision to delete the ‘waqf by user’ clause from the amended law was not arbitrary, and the argument that waqf lands would be seized by governments held "no water."
‘Waqf by user’ refers to recognising a property as waqf on the basis of historic, uninterrupted use for religious or charitable purposes even without a written declaration by the owner.
The Centre launched the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development) portal on June 6 to create a digital inventory of waqf assets through geo-tagging.
Under the mandate, details of all registered waqf properties across the country must be uploaded to the portal within six months.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
