The Sambhal district administration has ordered an investigation to ascertain whether the land on which a local dargah stands is Waqf property following allegations of financial mismanagement and illegal encroachment, officials said on Saturday.
As per the complaint, the dargah of Dada Mouazmiya Shah, which is built on Waqf land at Janeta village panchayat of the Baniyakheda development block in Chandausi, was being illegally occupied by an individual named Shahid Mian.
Medical clinic being operated on encroached land
The complainant Javed, said that the accused was also operating an unauthorised medical clinic on the encroached land. The complaint alleged that the Waqf land has been without a “mutawalli” or caretaker since 2019 and remained vacant, however, Shahid was allegedly earning a “substantial income from the annual Urs festival held at the dargah”.
Chandausi Tehsildar Dhirendra Pratap Singh said that the property in question is not registered as Waqf land in the revenue records and the ongoing probe will now focus on the financial transactions related to the shrine since 2019.
Property not registered as Waqf land
The complaint comes after the enactment of the Waqf Act on April 3. Talking to media persons, Singh said that they have previously received complaints about the dargah in Janeta. "Shahid Mian has been asked to provide relevant documents, some of which he has already submitted. Further action will be determined following a thorough examination of these documents,” he said.
The tehsildar also added that the dargah property was not registered as Waqf land in revenue records. "This raises questions about the basis on which it was being claimed as Waqf land. That will be a key focus of the investigation," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
