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MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at several places in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged illegal sale of waqf properties in Maharashtra. The ED said that at least seven premises have been raided across the state. Action is being taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Two Pune-based activists (72-year-old Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh and 64-year-old Munawwar Khan) said that they first came to know about the scam when they visited six hectares of Waqf Board land at Rajiv Gandhi IT Park in Man village of Mulshi tehsil of Pune district. Both the activists alleged that the land was illegally acquired by the state government for an IT park.
He said that “the same land was handed over to the Tabut Inam Endowment Trustee as caretaker by the Maharashtra Waqf Board in 2009 and a certificate in this regard was also given by the Waqf Board to this trust. This certificate was meant to That the Tatoot Endowment Trust is just a caretaker and has no right to sell this land or claim any amount from the State Government.”
Mushtaq Shaikh said that he has come to know that on December 8, 2020, four trustees of Tabut Inam Endowment Trust including Imtiyaz Mohammad Hussain Shaikh and Chand Ramzan Mulani had taken Pune collector no. 13 and demanded amount for the said land survey number 335.”
According to Mushtaq and Munnawar, the Tabut Endowment Trust presented a certificate issued to them on January 22 this year with the signature of the Assistant CEO of the Waqf Board, Farooq Pathan. This certificate states that the trust is the authorized claimant of the said land. He said, “Satisfied with the evidence, the Collectorate Office at Land Acquisition Officer No. 13, Pune released an amount of Rs.7,76,98,250. The total government value of this land is Rs.9,64,42,500. The above amount is Rs. 98,250 was deposited through demand draft in the personal account of Imtiyaz Noor Mohd Hussain Shaikh in Axis Bank.
After realizing the bogus sale of Waqf Board land, Mushtaq Ahmed and Munawwar Khan informed the Waqf Board in a written complaint on 21 September. He said he had also sent a complaint to the Maharashtra Minorities Ministry on the same date via email. As they did not receive any response and no action was taken in this regard from the State Minorities Ministry and Waqf Board, Mushtaq Ahmed and Munawwar Khan said that they filed a written complaint with the Enforcement Directorate on November 3. On November 4, both the activists were called by the ED to discuss the matter and the meeting lasted for four hours.
The pair of activists said that Maharashtra’s Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik should have taken strict action against the alleged illegal sale of waqf properties or else he has no right to continue in office on moral grounds.
On Thursday, Nawab Malik took a dig at the ED and said that investigation of 30,000 entities under the Waqf Board is welcome. Nawab Malik said that ED’s investigation in any case is welcome, but it seems that the whole purpose of his present action is to malign his image.
Malik said, “If the ED thinks that such action will scare me, then it is their wrong perception. Such acts will not hinder me in continuing my cleanliness drive, under which central agencies are misused.” Is.”
Nawab Malik said that ever since he took over as the Minister of Minority Affairs, the Waqf Board is working in full force with a full time Chief Executive Officer. He said the Waqf Board has also registered seven FIRs since taking over the probe into the alleged irregularities. Nawab Malik said, “We have started a cleanliness drive in the Waqf Board, under which action can be taken against the former members of the board and some officials as well.”
