Supreme Court Reserves Interim Orders on Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 After Hearing Multiple Pleas

PTI, NEW DELHI, MAY 22, 2025 :  The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its interim orders on three key issues, including the power to denotify properties declared as "waqf by courts, waqf by user, or waqf by deed," following hearings on a series of pleas challenging the validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih heard arguments from senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, and Abhishek Singhvi, representing those opposed to the amended law. The Centre was represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who strongly defended the Act over the course of three consecutive days of hearings.

The Centre argued that waqf, by its very nature, is a "secular concept" and cannot be stayed, citing the "presumption of constitutionality" that works in its favor.

Kapil Sibal, who led the petitioners, described the amended law as a "complete departure from historical legal and constitutional principles" and criticized it as a mechanism to "capture waqf properties through a non-judicial process."

“This is a case about the systematic capture of waqf properties. The government cannot dictate what issues can be raised,” Sibal argued.

The Supreme Court’s decision on the interim orders is expected to have significant implications for the legal status and control over waqf properties across the country.