Bareilly graveyard land encroached using fake Waqf Trust; 11 booked
The incident of 2020 came to light after one Puttan Shah of Bareilly’s Sarnia village, approached SSP Anurag Arya and lodged a complaint in this regard a week ago
In a case of fraud and illegal possession, 1.025 hectare government land recorded in official revenue documents as a graveyard was allegedly registered as Waqf property by creating a fake trust in Bareilly’s Collector Bukganj (CB) area in 2020, Bareilly police said.
It came to light after Puttan Shah, a resident of Bareilly’s Sarnia village, approached SSP Anurag Arya and lodged a complaint with him in this regard a week ago.
Acting on the complaint, the SSP Arya ordered an investigation by SP (city) Manush Pareek in which Shah’s allegation that a piece of prime land in his village had been illegally occupied was found true.
It also came to the fore that shops had been allegedly built on the land and a court order concerning the matter had also been suppressed by the alleged mafia.
Following SSP Arya’s intervention, an FIR was registered against 11 people, including key accused Sabje Ali, on charges of fraud, forgery, and assault with CB Ganj police station on Wednesday (April 16).
The SSP said the investigation confirmed that the accused had unlawfully occupied prime government property under the guise of Waqf registration. “The land was officially recorded as government land and a graveyard in revenue documents,” he said.
“Since the matter dates back several years, the initial charges have been framed under IPC sections. However, further action under the new Waqf law will be considered. The land will also be freed from illegal possession with the help of the revenue department,” the cop added.
The FIR was lodged under the Indian Penal Code sections 420 (fraud), 467 (forging documents), 468 (using forged documents for cheating) and 471 (using forged documents as genuine) as well as 120-B (criminal conspiracy). 447 (criminal trespass in property), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 and 506 insulting and criminal intimidation respectively.
As per complainant Puttan Shah, Sabje Ali, a local, had placed a man named Syed Hamid Hasan on a portion of the graveyard land, presenting him as a ‘fakir’ (holy man) to the community.
Shah alleged that Hamid Hasan used to perform superstitious rituals to deceive people, with Sabje Ali taking a share of the income generated. After Hasan’s death, his body was allegedly buried in the graveyard land, and a mausoleum was constructed there.
The probe revealed that on November 24, 2020, Sabje Ali registered a fraudulent trust deed in the name of ‘Fakir Syed Hamid Hasan Dargah Charitable Trust’ at the office of sub registrar Sadar II, Bareilly.
Following it, he illegally declared himself a trustee and included his relatives as trust members. He then got the property registered with the Sunni Central Waqf Board in Lucknow, claiming ownership of the land.
Shah alleged that when he opposed the illegal encroachment, he was assaulted and threatened with death.
Whenever Puttan Shah sought information about the alleged Waqf property, Sabje Ali reportedly provided incomplete details. On February 12, 2021, Ali even filed a case against Shah, but during proceedings, the court found that Ali’s possession of the land was illegal. Despite repeated opportunities, he failed to provide proof of ownership.
Although Puttan Shah had a favorable court order, police had not taken action for a long time. After Shah personally presented the facts to SSP Anurag Arya, a fresh investigation by the SP (city) revealed that Sabje Ali, with the support of his family members, had illegally seized government land.
