Aurangabad: For the last few months, the Maharashtra State Waqf Board is engaged in vigorous action against those grabbing prized lands. In this episode, on Friday, the board has taken possession of eight and a half acres of mosque located near Shekta in the district from illegal occupiers. This information was given by Maharashtra State Waqf Board CEO (CEO) Anis Shaikh late in the evening.
He informed that service prize land group number 120 in Mouje Shaikat Bidkin of Paithan tehsil of the district is total 8 acres 39 bunts. Suryabhan Bhavar, Kishore Bardi Bhawar, Vishnu Shripati Bhawar, Barku Shripati Bhawar, Bariga Bhavar, Shivaji Bhawar and Ashok Barve all residents of Shekta had occupied unauthorizedly on this land for the last few years.
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Mutawalli had knocked on the board’s door
In order to remove the illegally occupied Waqf land by Bhawar family, Mutawalli of the Masjid Sheikh Nasir and others had filed a case under Section 54 of the Waqf Act 1995 with the then CEO of Waqf Mandal regarding eviction of encroachments. In the said matter, the then CEO of the Board took the hearing and gave a decision on 30 October 2006. In the decision, the CEO had made it clear that this land is the prize land of the mosque. Those who took illegal possession should immediately remove their encroachment and give the said land in the possession of Mutawalli Sheikh Nasir.
High Court upheld the order of the CEO
In this case, the occupants had filed a case in the Waqf Tribunal against the order of the CEO of Waqf Board. The Waqf Tribunal had also upheld the order of the CEO of the board. The petition was filed by the occupier Sukhdev Bhawar and others in the Aurangabad Bench of the Mumbai High Court regarding the order given by the Waqf Tribunal. The High Court had also upheld the order of the CEO on 26 April 2016. Also in 2018, Mutawalli Sheikh Nasir of the mosque had filed a contempt petition in the High Court. In the hearing of the petition, the High Court had ordered the Revenue Department to take action.
On the said order, the Waqf Board took possession of the said land from illegal occupants on Friday. Talathi, the help of police were taken by the board to take possession of the land. District Waqf Officer Syed Faiz took possession of the encroachment and handed over the said land to Mutawalli Sheikh Nashik of the mosque. A board was put up at the said site for this land to be of Waqf Board. It is worth noting that the Waqf Board is in action mode for the last few months. The board has initiated legal action against those who have illegally grabbed the board’s land. Three days ago, on the complaint given by the Beed District Waqf Officer of the Board in the matter of illegal possession of the prize land, a case has been registered against many officers of the Revenue Department. Due to which there has been a stir among those who illegally occupied the board’s land.