Woman official who tabled report on waqf land encroachments seeks police protection
A woman official, who heads the district minority welfare department, has written to SSP Ghaziabad seeking police security after several persons, a couple of days ago, allegedly reached her office and threatened to harm her.
The official, Amrita Singh, said she has recently sent a report to the district magistrate and state officials highlighting the involvement of several persons in the encroachment on waqf land.
According to Singh’s report, the Ghaziabad district has 718 waqf properties and about 80% to 90% of them are either encroached upon or under dispute. She said two days ago, several persons came to meet her at her office in Vikas Bhawan, a part of the district headquarters, and allegedly threatened her.
“They initially spoke politely but later made a veiled threat about consequences that I and my children may face. I had submitted a report about certain people encroaching upon waqf land in Ghaziabad. I suspect that their visit and threats were intended to discourage me from conducting such inquiries,” Singh said.
“So I have written to the senior superintendent of police to provide me security as a lot of inquiries are being taken up. Generally, it is the modus operandi of people to encroach upon such properties by posing as mutwallis (caretaker) or forging documents. The staff and officials are also not well-versed with laws related to waqf, so encroachers take advantage of that,” she said.
Singh also holds charge of two other districts, Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr under Meerut division, and four other districts under Aligarh division. District magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey did not comment on the issue as he was attending a video conferencing with state officials Monday evening.
Under Islamic law, a waqf is an inalienable charitable endowment for religious or humanitarian activities. The land classified as waqf cannot be sold nor it can be leased out without the permission of the state board.
The officials said as per the new government order, in April 2018, waqf properties have been allowed to have colleges, madrassas, libraries, community halls, overhead tanks or potable water schemes.
When approached SSP Kalanidhi Naithani declined comment. However, Atish Kumar Singh, circle officer (city 2), said that the communication is yet to be received.
“Once the communication from the official is received, we will take up inquiries and suitable legal action,” he said.
The incident with Singh followed another incident on Sunday evening when additional district magistrate (land acquisition) MS Garbyal was severely beaten up with a cricket bat by an ex-serviceman at a park in Raj Nagar’s Sector 14.
“The man has been arrested and an FIR has been lodged against him for attempt to murder, wrongful confinement, and criminal intimidation of the IPC and also under provisions of Criminal Law Amendment Act. He has four other criminal cases against him. The condition of ADM is stable,” the CO said.
The police, in connection with the attack on ADM, have arrested Jasvir Singh alias Jasmer, who resides at Rajapur village under Kavi Nagar police station and hails from Jind, Haryana. According to officials, he was court-martialed in 2015 and was recently fired from his job as a bouncer at a mall in Ghaziabad.
