'Gave Them Chunks On A Platter': Supreme Court Questions Aga Khan Trust's Role At Sunder Nursery

Published 23 July 2026 · local

'Gave Them Chunks On A Platter': Supreme Court Questions Aga Khan Trust's Role At Sunder Nursery Written By, Last Updated: July 23, 2026, 10:15 IST

'Gave Them Chunks On A Platter': Supreme Court Questions Aga Khan Trust's Role At Sunder Nursery Written By, Last Updated: July 23, 2026, 10:15 IST Referring to reports of restaurants and paid public access within the park, the judges questioned whether a publicly owned heritage space was being used for commercial purposes Rapid Read Sunder Nursery is a 90-acre heritage park adjoining Humayun's Tomb that is managed by the Aga Khan Trust in partnership with government agencies. (X) The Supreme Court on Thursday raised serious concerns over the management of Delhi’s iconic Sunder Nursery, questioning why the government had handed over “chunks" of the public heritage space to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and expressing displeasure over what it described as its commercial use. The remarks came during the hearing of a case concerning the preservation of heritage monuments inside the Delhi Golf Club, where the court was examining whether protected monuments were being adequately conserved amid competing commercial and recreational interests. While noting that the Delhi Golf Club had taken tangible steps to safeguard monuments within its premises, including restricting public access and creating protective perimeters around heritage structures, the bench said it was “not very satisfied" with the conservation work being undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust at some monuments under its care.

The court then shifted its focus to Sunder Nursery, a 90-acre heritage park adjoining Humayun’s Tomb that is managed by the Aga Khan Trust in partnership with government agencies. Questioning both the arrangement and its implementation, the bench wondered why the government had effectively ceded large portions of a public nursery to the trust. “Government has given them chunks of the nursery on a platter," the bench observed, adding that the trust had been “enjoying" the space for years. Referring to reports of restaurants and paid public access within the park, the judges questioned whether a publicly owned heritage space was being used for commercial purposes. “You cut 70-80 acres out of a government nursery and give it to them, where they are running heavy restaurants… Government has given it to them on a platter. For so many years they are enjoying this," the bench orally remarked. Indicating that the issue was far from closed, the court said it would examine the arrangement in greater detail in subsequent hearings. “We will take note of this. We will blacklist Aga Khan Trust from India. Do they think they have a right to do anything? They think they are sacrosanct?" the bench said, in one of its sharpest observations during the hearing.