Affidavit Claims Ambani’s Antilia Built on “Illegally” Sold Orphanage Land

Mumbai, India – A recent affidavit filed in the Bombay High Court has reignited the long-standing controversy surrounding Antilia, the palatial residence of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani. The affidavit claims that the ₹15,000 crore (approximately USD 1.74 billion) mansion was constructed on land that was “illegally” sold in 2005.

Antilia stands on a plot of land that was originally home to the Currimbhoy Ebrahim Yateemkhana, an orphanage established in 1895 by wealthy Khoja Muslim businessman Sir Fazalbhoy Currimbhoy Ebrahim for orphans and destitute children of his community.

Over time, the orphanage came under the management of the Maharashtra State Wakf Board, which, in 2002, granted permission for its sale to Mukesh Ambani-owned Muffin-Antilia Commercial Private Limited. Reports suggest Ambani acquired the prime land for a mere $2.5 million, significantly below its estimated market value of $18 million at the time. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) approved the building plan for Antilia in 2003, and construction commenced in 2006.

The recent affidavit, submitted by Sandesh C Tadvi, joint secretary to the Minority Development Department and acting CEO of the Maharashtra State Board of Wakfs, alleges that a “mischief” was committed when the then chairman and CEO ratified the land sale to Mukesh Ambani on March 9, 2025.

Earlier, in a 2017 order, the Bombay High Court had directed the Wakf Board to clarify its position on challenging the Charity Commissioner’s permission for the sale. Notably, the Wakf Board had previously deemed the transaction illegal and issued a notice to Antilia Commercial citing violations of the Wakf Act, 1995, which prohibits the sale of Wakf property without the Board’s sanction.

The notice was challenged before a Wakf Tribunal in 2004. During the proceedings, the CEO of the Wakf Board reached an agreement with the Trust, wherein the trustees acknowledged that the land was indeed Wakf property. The tribunal subsequently ruled that an annual contribution be paid to the Wakf Board, and the trustees deposited ₹1.6 million as per the Wakf Act.

Interestingly, the Trust had initially claimed that the land was not Wakf property but later retracted this assertion.

Adding to the controversy, AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi recently stated that the land was intended solely for charitable purposes, and the Trust violated this mandate by selling it to Mukesh Ambani. The decades-old land deal continues to be a subject of legal scrutiny and public debate.