Justifying the suspension of Mutawalli (caretaker) of dargah Shah Khamoush, Syed Shah Ali Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini Saberi, on the charges of misappropriation of funds and selling away Wakf land, Wakf Board special officer Shaik Mohammad Iqbal has said he had acted as per law and the suspension was ordered only after thorough enquiry into the allegations.
He warned that he would file a defamation suit against Akbar Nizamuddin if he does not stop making false allegation against him.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Iqbal said the board’s action was well within the framework of law and the mutawalli was given enough opportunity to explain his position. “The board has issued showcause notices to Akbar Nizamuddin, and after receiving his explanation and enquiring about the issue, action was initiated,” he pointed out.
The Wakf Board is empowered under section 64(5) of the Wakf Act, 1995, to suspend any mutawalli if it sees it necessary in the interest of wakf, until the conclusion of the enquiry, he explained.
The board had followed the same procedure which it had adopted while suspending the mutawalli of Dargah Yousufain in Hyderabad, Dargah Hazrat Arifullah Shah Ameen Peer Quadri in Kadapa, Dargah Hazrat Fakhruddin Baba in Penukonda (Anantapur district) and others, and therefore, Akbar Nizamuddin’s contention that the board was targeting him was baseless and false, Iqbal said.
Iqbal said Hussaini had sold away a portion of 865 acres under dargah Shah Khamoush and also 121 acres and 17 guntas of dargah land at Maqta Khanojiguda at Alwal. Similarly, Hussaini had converted the 9.27 acres of Saber Gulshan at Langar Houz, a Wakf Mashrootul Qidmat, into a private farm house, he said.
Akbar Nizamuddin not only failed in his duty to protect the wakf land but also sold the wakf properties for personal gain, he alleged.
“I have all the documents to prove that Akbar Nizamuddin had sold the wakf land claiming himself as the sole owner of the land. I even have the documents of the deal submitted at the sub-registrar office, in which it shas been clearly mentioned that the land was sold by Akbar Nizamuddin,” he remarked.
Replying to a question, he said he does not need the permission of the secretary of the department of minorities welfare to suspend a mutawalli.