New Delhi, Dec 1: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant a general extension for the registration of waqf properties under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Bar & Bench reported that a Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih said that those seeking more time must approach the waqf tribunal under Section 3B of the Act. “Go before the tribunal. If six months is not sufficient, that point has already been examined,” the Bench observed.
The six-month deadline for mandatory registration, from the commencement of the amended law, ends this week. The UMEED online portal, launched by the Centre for registrations, also came under criticism during the hearing, but the Court declined to examine technical issues without proof. Petitions, including one by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, sought more time citing practical difficulties and slow portal functioning. Senior advocates argued that lakhs of mutawallis may struggle to approach tribunals individually. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the registration requirement has existed since 1929 and that the law already provides for individual extensions. The Court maintained that any request for more time must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the tribunal.
