The Peshawar high court dismissed a plea seeking ownership over late Indian actor Raj Kapoor's ancestral home, known as the Kapoor Haveli. The house, situated in Peshawar’s famous Qissa Khwani Bazaar, was declared a national heritage site by the provincial government in 2016.
According to a report by India Today, a two-member bench comprising Justices Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Abdul Shakoor dismissed the ownership case of the petitioner on Thursday, 27 May.
In continuation of the report, petitioner Saeed Muhammad's advocate, Sabahauddin Khattak, told the court that Saeed's father had purchased the house during an auction in 1969 after competitive bidding. They paid its cost and remained as absolute owners till the provincial government initiated the commencement of the acquisition process.
The petitioner's counsel further alleged that there are no documents to prove that Kapoor or his family ever lived in the mansion or owned it.
However, the court told the counsel that the matter ought to be taken to a civil court.
The Kapoor mansion is currently in a dilapidated state, and its current owners wish to demolish the house to construct a commercial plaza in its prime location. However, the archaeological department of Pakistan has preserved the mansion owing to its historic significance, as per reports..
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)