The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a major step in a corruption case related to the Waqf Board in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. On May 6, the ED Ahmedabad Zonal Office conducted simultaneous searches at 9 locations in the city under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The main objective of the raid was to investigate the case against Salim Khan Jummakhan Pathan and other accused, who were falsely claimed trustees of the "Kanch Ki Masjid Trust" and "Shah Bara Kasam Trust".
The case was initiated on the basis of an FIR filed at the Gaekwad Haveli police station, which stated that the accused had entered into fake lease agreements, illegally collected rent from the tenants and submitted false affidavits to the Waqf Board. In addition, they illegally built shops on the trust's land and pocketed the rent for themselves, even though the main purpose of the land was for social welfare activities.
The ED said that the accused had illegally built about 150-200 houses and 25-30 shops and collected regular rent from the tenants. However, this money was never deposited in the trust's account. As a result, the trust's funds were embezzled and the land was used for personal gain.
During this operation, bank funds worth about Tk 2 crore were frozen, cash worth Tk 30 lakh was seized and crypto assets worth about Tk 7 lakh were frozen, which are believed to be controlled by the accused and their close associates. In addition, the investigating agency has also seized many important documents and digital devices.
Although the property of the Waqf Board is designated for religious and social activities, allegations of using that land for personal business gain had been coming up for a long time. This is the first time that such a powerful operation has been conducted at the central level against it.
The ED said that the investigation is still ongoing and some more important information is likely to come to light. This move by the ED is making it clear how well-planned and corrupt this entire cycle of illegal occupation, construction and earning money on land for a long time despite being disapproved as a trustee was.
In the wake of this incident, it is expected that the Gujarat administration and the central investigation agency will also look into other irregularities related to wakf properties in the coming days.
