Show cause notice issued to IAS officer Anil Ramod in illegal Waqf land transaction

Maharashtra State Waqf Board CEO has issued a show cause notice to Ramod for helping add names of private persons in the 7/12 land extract of a Waqf property.

Pune: The Maharashtra State Waqf Board had issued a show cause notice to Anil Ramod, IAS official and former additional divisional commissioner (revenue), in connection with an alleged illegal Waqf land transaction estimated to be around ₹100 crore.

The notice was sent on May 24 this year before he was arrested wherein the board had sought his written response within four weeks. (Representative Image)

Maharashtra State Waqf Board CEO has issued a show cause notice to Ramod for helping add names of private persons in the 7/12 land extract of a Waqf property measuring about 19 acres in Vadu Budruk.

The notice was sent on May 24 this year before he was arrested wherein the board had sought his written response within four weeks.

MB Tahsilar, Waqf Board CEO, further stated in the notice, “Reply to the notice within four weeks of its receipt failing which criminal action under section 52 (A) will be taken against you by the board.”

Ramod was nabbed by CBI sleuths on June 9 while accepting a bribe of ₹8 lakh to award higher land-acquisition compensation to farmers whose lands are being acquired for highway projects.

Searches conducted at the official and residential premises of Ramod at three locations in Pune led to the recovery of cash of ₹6 crore (approx); property-related documents including 14 immovable properties in the name of self and family; Investment and bank account details and other incriminating documents.

The show cause notice, a copy of which is available with Hindustan Times has named eighteen persons for carrying out illegal transactions (buying and selling) of the Waqf land property measuring around 19 acres.

Shirur Tahsilder in his order dated March 20, 2017, ordered the land in question was Waqf property and that it should be taken as a registered Waqf property on revenue records. Despite the order, due diligence and verification of the government property records were not done by Ramod who cancelled the tahsildar’s order. Prima facie it appears that Ramod while giving the order did not bother to check whether it was a Waqf property, neither MSWB was made a party to the decision nor the board’s opinion was sought. Ramod ordered the transfer of the said waqf property in the name of private persons and facilitated an illegal transaction of the waqf property, the notice states.

Special Judge AS Waghmare had remanded Ramod to CBI custody till June 13. Following the expiry of the custody, the judge remanded him in judicial custody till June 27 after which the former top bureaucrat was lodged at Yerawada Central Prison.