Encroachment of Wakf land in Mangaluru: BJP leader’s multi-crore complex raises eyebrows

coastaldigest.com news network
December 26, 2017

Amidst uproar over encroachments of the Wakf properties across India, a huge building has illegally come up on a Wakf land worth several crores of rupees in the heart of the city of Mangaluru in coastal Karnataka. Shockingly, the local administration too has helped a politician’s family to construct the illegal building on the land belonging to the historic Kutchi Memon Masjid in the city.

In fact, the illegal construction work on the Wakf land started around three years ago and now a six-story commercial-cum-residential complex has almost reached its completion after illegally crossing several legal hurdles. Reliable sources said that a leader of Bhartiya Janata Party had managed to mislead the officials of Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) and obtain licence for the constriction with the help of an illegal ‘permission letter’ from a staff of the mosque.

Occupancy tenants

The 2.5 acres land belonging to the mosque and located at Golikatta Bazar in Bundar area of Mangaluru city had been declared as Wakf property in 1968 through a gazette notification. For the past few years, one Keshava Mijar and his family had been living in 69 cents of land of the same 2.5 acres as occupancy tenants (moola geni basis). Around three years ago, Keshava Mijar’s five children including Ravishankar Mijar, vice-president of Dakshina Kannada district unit of BJP, jointly started constructing a complex after demolition the small buildings on the land.

Completely illegal

Any development work or construction of building on a Wakf land without obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) directly from the Wakf board will be considered illegal. However, a staff of the mosque, apparently violating his jurisdiction, had reportedly given a written permission using the official letterhead of the mosque to the tenants (Mijar siblings) to construct the complex. The tenants had reportedly paid him Rs 12.5 lakh for this favour. 

Even though the permission letter given by the staff of the mosque doesn’t authorise the tenants to construct the building, they went ahead with their multi-crore project. In December 2013, the MUDA provided single site approval to the tenants in violation of the rules or without verifying the documents of the land. In November 2014, the tenants received licence for the construction work from the MCC too. 

MCC serves notices

Even thought the illegal construction process started three years ago the state Wakf board recently woke up following a complaint and directed the local administration to stop the illegal construction work. After realising its blunder, the MCC served notices to Ravishankar Mijar and his siblings.

Rs 100 rent for 69 cents land!

However, the BJP leader and his siblings have claimed that the land legally belongs to them. “We, the five siblings, have obtained single site approval from the MUDA. Hence, we have all the rights to construct the building in this 69 cents land. Besides, we are still paying Rs 100 rent every month to the mosque without fail. There is no meaning in arguing that this is Wakf land,” says Ravishankar Mijar.

Legal action awaited

According to MCC Commissioner Mohammed Nazir, the civic body had granted licence for the construction of the complex based on the single site approval issued by the MUDA in 2013 to Ravishankar Mijar and siblings. “However, now we have received information that the property belongs to the Wakf. Hence we will seek the opinion from the legal advisors before taking further action,” he said.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said that he had already directed the assistant commissioner to look into the issue. “If there are sufficient documents to prove that it’s a Wakf land then the building will be considered illegal and further action will be taken,” he said. 

Dakshina Kannada Wakf Advisory Committee chief Kanachur Monu holds MCC and MUDA officials responsible for illegal construction. “A tenant cannot become the owner of the Wakf land just by bribing some people. Even if he creates some documents, they are considered illegal documents. The tenants have illegally constructed a building on land worth Rs 30 crore. It is the responsibility of the authorities concerned to clear the encroachment at the earliest and reclaim the Wakf land,” he said.

Comments

Once Mr Anwar Manipadi submiting wakf property list in a TV Debate  howcome he missed this property 

 

May be he was with Pakistani wakf delegates at that time, these days our leadrs are good in attaending birthdays and shaadi and meeting  Paki delegates  and to be honest we dont have to Bribe people get letter  to show honesty  and Naionalist.

 

Abdullah
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Dec 2017

Waqf board is sleeping ....

Mbeary
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Dec 2017

Name the mosque staff 

Lets name and shame him

he has eaten the money of the yatheem

Naren Kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Dec 2017

This might be the case of encroachment of BJP land by mosque. I know mijar family and they are very honest and nationalist people. They don’t want the property of Pakistani supporters. It was BJP which exposed the encroachment of Wakf property by Congress minister. But Sidramullah’s Khan grace govt is fooling muzzis.

Reader
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Dec 2017

This is not just the case of Mangalore. Everywhere in India we can see same situation. Unfortunately this scam is growing across the country. 

Pokar Beary
 - 
Wednesday, 27 Dec 2017

Congress government will not take action because it knows that many of Congress bigwigs are doing the same. Paying Rs 10 monthly rent to the mosques and running giant commercial complexes and earning crores. 

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News Network
May 10,2024

AKejrival.jpg

The Supreme Court Friday granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till June 1 in the excise policy case.

The top court, however, stated that it will be passing a detailed order over the matter soon.

On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate had opposed the move to grant interim bail to Kejriwal saying that “any special concession” to him will “amount to anathema to the rule of law and equality… thereby creating two separate classes in the country viz. ordinary people, who are bound by the rule of law as well as the laws of the country, and politicians who can seek exemption from the laws”.

The ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in the excise policy case.

“The right to campaign for an election is neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional right and not even a legal right,” the ED said, maintaining that to its knowledge, “no political leader has been granted interim bail for campaigning even though he is not the contesting candidate”.

After the ED filed its affidavit, the AAP, in a press release, said, “The legal team of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convenor, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, has raised strong objection to the affidavit filed by the Enforcement Directorate opposing interim bail in the Supreme Court.”

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News Network
May 18,2024

ship.jpg

In a humanitarian move, Spain has refused entry to a ship carrying arms from India’s Chennai to Israel to dock at one of its ports, its Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has said.

The Denmark-flagged cargo ship Marianne Danica sailed from Chennai on April 8 when people in Gaza were observing Ramadan fasting, and was headed to the port of Haifa in Israel, according to maritime tracking portals and Spanish media.

Spain has been extremely critical of the rising civilian casualties due to the Israeli offensive in Gaza and, along with Belgium, has suspended arms exports licenses to Tel Aviv. 

Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal, at the weekly press conference, only said that they have seen the report of the ship and will revert with more information.

Meanwhile, a source said, “Investigation will reveal if the items on board were cleared for export and if the end user is the same as reported by The Guardian because there are items that are not banned for exports.”

Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Thursday on the issue, Mr. Albares had said, “This is the first time we have done this because it is the first time we have detected a ship carrying a shipment of arms to Israel that wants to call at a Spanish port.”

“This will be a consistent policy with any ship carrying arms to Israel that wants to call at Spanish ports. The Foreign Ministry will systematically reject such stopovers for one obvious reason: the Middle East does not need more weapons, it needs more peace,” he stated.

The ship was carrying 27 tonnes of explosives according to local reports. It was to make a port call at Cartegena in Spain.
In February, Mr. Albares said that they had suspended arms export licences to Israel since October 7, which he said made them “realise” the importance of a “fair and lasting solution” to the Palestinian cause.

The incident comes amid an ongoing row between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s party and his coalition partners over another ship, Borkum, that was due to dock at Cartegena port on Friday over allegations that it was carrying arms meant for Israel. However, the Spanish government has said that the arms it is ferrying are meant for the Czech Republic.

Belgium had suspended two arms export licences to Israel.

“We welcome the decision of the Spanish government to deny the transit authorisation of the vessel Marianne Danica, in accordance with Tratado (treaty) on Arms Trade and Spanish law,” Amnesty International Spain said on social media platform ‘X’.

The timing also coincides with the Israeli ground offensive inside Rafah. According to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) at least 6,30,000 Palestinians have been forced out of Rafah since the launch of the incursion on May 7.

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News Network
May 12,2024

express.jpg

Mangaluru: A native of Kerala was arrested on charge of misbehaving with crew on an Air India Express flight while travelling from Dubai to Mangaluru International Airport. The man even threatened to jump from the aircraft, according to officials. 

Siddartha Das, the security coordinator for Air India Express, lodged a complaint against the passenger, identified as Muhammad BC from Kannur, Kerala, after which he was caught by the airport security once the flight landed at Mangaluru. He was later handed over to the police.

DCP (Law and Order) Sidharth Goyal said the incident occurred on Flight IX814 on May 8.

When the flight was above the sea, Muhammad reportedly said he wanted to get off the plane, posing a threat to all on board. The unruly flyer was detained by airport security once the flight landed at Mangaluru International Airport and he was handed over to Bajpe police station officials.

Sources added once the flight took off from Dubai, the accused went to the lavatory and thereafter started inquiring with the cabin crew about a person named Krishna who was not on the flight. Muhammad kept on pressing the bell for in-flight assistance, even though the cabin crew members were near at hand. He then picked up a life jacket, gave it to a crew member, and said he wanted to use it upon landing.

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