Maharashtra Waqf Probe Stalled For Years Amid Political Pressure
The ATAK Shaikh Inquiry Commission report stands as a classic example of how diligent efforts to expose the grabbing of thousands of acres of Waqf properties in Maharashtra have been sidelined. Despite being submitted in 2011, the report remains unimplemented in its true spirit, hampered only by political equations.
Mounting complaints against the late chairman of the Waqf Board, Dr MA Aziz – appointed in 2003 by the Congress-led alliance government – prompted the initiation of an inquiry led by SJ Qadari, a senior serving official in the state government. Within just five months, from October 2006 to March 2007, Qadari concluded that a deeper investigation was warranted to uncover significant irregularities.
In October 2007, the state government appointed a single-member inquiry commission under Retd District Judge ATAK Shaikh. Despite non-cooperation and step-motherly treatment by the state agencies, Shaikh completed his task, conducting an inquiry into 113 cases and submitting his report to the government in April 2011.
Such was the response by the government that no developments were taking place to take the report to its logical conclusion. In between, the original copy of the report signed by Justice Shaikh, along with appendices, and the CD, was gulped by a devastating fire at Mantralaya in June 2012. Justice Shaikh made available another copy of the report upon request by the state government in September 2012.
Thereafter, despite several announcements and assurances, nothing significant has ever taken place except assurances to conduct probes in alleged land transactions.
Since the report nailed a few leaders from the ruling Congress–NCP alliance, nothing happened till the government was replaced by the BJP- led government in November 2014. Before that, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was heading the alliance government, ordered an action taken report (ATR) on the report in April 2014.
The ATR saw the light of the day in 2015, and it was tabled by the then Minority Development Minister Eknath Khadse, asking the State Wakf Board to probe irregularities in the 113 cases. Later, Khadse’s deputy Dilip Kamble announced a probe in all these cases in April 2016. In between, Khadse announced in May 2015 that the state would bring a special law to restore land parcels encroached or sold illegally to Waqf Board.
Since then, little progress has been made, aside from a fresh announcement by the Mahayuti 2 government promising action against those involved in illegal land deals.
The 81-page ATR highlights major lapses by the Waqf Board and names then Revenue Minister Rajendra Shingne (now with NCP-SP) for issuing questionable orders. It also implicates former MP Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar – linked to Congress, BJP, and now NCP (AP) – in a 22-acre land transfer in Nanded, and former BJP MLC Gurumukh Jagwani in another dubious deal.
The report points to political heavyweights using proxies for land grabs. It also indicts former Waqf Board chairman Dr MA Aziz, along with CEOs MY Patel, SSA Qadari, A Ahmed, and several board officials for various irregularities.
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