Expressing dissatisfaction over the response of Waqf Board in protecting its lands, Telangana High Court on Tuesday sought to know why the board had not filed complaints with the police against illegal encroachments of the lands.
Hearing a PIL plea on grabbing of lands belonging to Waqf Board, a bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy directed the Waqf Board chairman to appear before it on September 11. Referring to specific allegations that graveyards were being illegally encroached upon by some persons, the bench sought to know what steps the Waqf Board had taken to check the same.
The bench said the Waqf Board, in a counter affidavit, stated that lands belonging to 63 graveyards were grabbed. However, the board did not mention how many complaints were lodged to initiate criminal action against the land grabbers. The silence of the board on illegal occupation of its properties gives rise to some suspicions, the bench observed.
A social activist Mohd. Ilyas moved the HC through a PIL petition alleging that the State government and the Waqf Board were remaining mute spectators even as several Waqf properties were being illegally taken over by some persons. The counter affidavit filed by the board was not comprehensive, the bench remarked. The board gave a list of graveyards in Ranga Reddy district and twin cities. But it failed to explain the revenue survey numbers under which these graveyards were located. It was surprising that the board preferred not to lodge any complaints against the land grabbers under Section 447 of Indian Penal Code with the police, the bench said.
Lawyer Saifullah Baig representing the Waqf Board informed the court that matters relating to grabbing of graveyards were pending with the Revenue Department authorities. But what prevented the authorities in lodging complaints with the police on the matter, the bench asked the counsel. The bench felt that the matter should have been taken to the notice of the Cabinet Minister in-charge of Wakf board properties. This would have helped the authorities check illegal encroachments of the properties, the bench said.
