Bangalore: Qamar-ul Islam accused of illegally acquiring Wakf property

Bangalore, Jun 8, 2013 (PTI): A private complaint has been filed before the Special Lokayukta Court against Karnataka Wakf Minister Qamar-ul Islam accusing him of illegally acquiring Wakf properties in Gulbarga.

Complainant Tabrez Pasha submitted documents to the court alleging that Qamar-ul Islam illegally acquired a little over eight acres of Wakf land in Bandepura.

The land was granted to Khwaja Bande Nawaz Sharief Dargarh by the Wakf Board in 1974 and four years later, Qamar-ul Islam requested that the land to be granted to him, it said.

The land was illegally granted in Qamar-ul Islam's favour and the minister converted it into a residential layout, selling each plot for a sum ranging from Rs six lakh to Rs twenty lakh, Pasha alleged in his complaint.

Pasha alleged Qamar-ul Islam misused his official position as member of Karnataka Wakf Board in 1998 to denotify the shrine land.

The land had been illegally occupied by some people against whom the Wakf Board was fighting a legal battle in Karnataka High Court.

Pasha said he filed a complaint with the Karnataka State Minorities Commission a few months ago and the Commission had, in turn, submitted a report to the government.

However, the government had failed to take any action.

Special Lokayukta Court Judge N K Sudhindra Rao has posted the case to July 18 for hearing.