Waqf Board members claim decades old ancestral property of a Hindu woman. Complaint lodged.

Karnataka: Hindu Woman lodged complaint over Waqf Board allegedly claiming her Kodagu property. Police took action. 

B Upendran | HENB | Bengaluru | Nov 8, 2024:: A 45-year-old Hindu woman in Kodagu has filed a complaint with the police, alleging that supposedly two Muslim men claiming to be from the Waqf Board threatened her and demanded she vacate her ancestral property, claiming it belonged to the Board. This incident is the latest in a series of controversies surrounding notices issued to farmers by the Waqf Board.

A disturbing incident has been reported in Kushalnagar, where two men claiming to be from the Waqf Board allegedly threatened a woman, Puchimada Renuka Uthappa, at her ancestral home in Mullusoge layout on October 25. According to Kushalnagar police station inspector B Prakash, a complaint was registered on Thursday based on Renuka’s statement. The men reportedly demanded that she vacate the property, claiming it belonged to the Waqf Board.

“Two men, identifying themselves as representatives of the Waqf Board, allegedly approached her, insisting her ancestors had encroached on Waqf land and demanded she leave the property. Renuka told them that her family legally owns the property, that her father purchased in 1984 from Manyapanda Bopanna. The property spans 36 cents in Survey No. 79/2, and her family has lived there for decades,” the police inspector said.

He further said: “Renuka challenged the men’s claims and requested official documentation or a court order to substantiate their allegations. The men reportedly responded with threats.” Prakash said that a case has been registered under relevant BNS sections for trespass and criminal intimidation.

This incident comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding the Waqf Board’s activities. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aims to regulate waqf properties in India and provide clarity on their management.

In recent, Haveri in Karnataka saw a communal spate of violence with a Waqf notification which was stopped later.  Karnataka State Board of Waqfs had claimed ownership of approximately 1,500 acres of ancestral land belonging to farmers in Honvada village, Vijayapura district, North Karnataka. These farmers mostly belong to Hindu community. Again, District Waqf Board had claimed ownership of Haveri District Court premises, which sits on a 20-acre land, and 19-acre Hindu burial ground in Tadas village of Shiggaon taluk in the district.

Earlier, in Tamil Nadu, the Waqf Board has claimed ownership of the 1,500-year-old Sundareswarar Temple and the entire Hindu village of Thiruchendurai in Tiruchirappalli district. In Kerala,  plight of 200 fishermen families (mostly Christians) in Munambam came to fore who are spending sleepless nights due to the Waqf Act. Recently, AIDUF MP Badruddin Ajmal  claimed, ‘Parliament building and Delhi Airport made on Waqf property’. In many places in India, the Waqf Act is being utilised as a tool of land Jihad to grab the landed properties of Non-Muslims.

In fact, the Supreme Court of India has clarified that a mere publication of a notification by the Waqf Board is not enough to declare a property as Waqf. The apex court emphasized that due process, including two surveys, settlement of disputes, and submission of reports to the State Government and the Waqf Board, must be followed.

Moreover, the Waqf Act of 1995 governs the administration of Waqf properties in India, and the Board’s actions are subject to judicial review. The Supreme Court has also stated that the creation of a Waqf can be determined from the facts and circumstances of each case, including long usage of the property for religious and public charitable purposes. But, the misuse of Waqf is tantamount to victimise the non-Muslims and even Muslims in an infinite scale. Accordingly, the Waqf Bill 2024 has been introduced (which is now in the Joint Parliamentary Committee to review) to wipe out the loopholes in the Waqf Act 1995.

Victims of Waqf and a significant portion of Hindus now fear that Muslims in India may soon claim ownership of the entire country in the name of the Waqf Board, sparking concerns about the erosion of religious and cultural diversity.

Updates on Hindu Woman lodged complaint over Waqf Board allegedly claiming her Kodagu property.

Updates: In response to our X posting, the Kodagu SP sent us a press statement in Kannada. For wider reach, we have posted its English version as reply giving thanks to Karnataka Police for their prompt action and giving reply to us. Karnataka Police Departments are investigating the case and refuted many points of allegations of the complainant.

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__Inputs from Agencies.