Ahmedabad
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has started demolishing an illegal building linked to Salim Jumma Khan, the main accused in a Rs 100-crore Waqf land scam in Jamalpur.
Salim Khan and four others were arrested on April 20 by Ahmedabad Police for their involvement in the scam. The Enforcement Directorate also began investigating the case in May.
The issue dates back to 2009 when Khan allegedly took over land where a school once stood before it was destroyed in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Khan then built residential and commercial units on the land and acted as a trustee, collecting rent for more than 20 years.
During COVID-19, AMC issued notices against the illegal construction. However, Khan ignored them and sold all 85 flats without legal permission, claiming he did not get police protection.
On Monday, AMC workers began tearing down the nine-storey illegal building using sledgehammers as bulldozers were still awaited. Power and water connections to the 2,734 square metre building were cut off, and full demolition will begin once the area is vacated.
The Gujarat Waqf Board manages properties donated for religious and charitable purposes. The state has thousands of waqf properties, including mosques and schools. Many properties are in prime urban areas but face issues like encroachment and scams involving influential people and political pressure.
This scandal highlights the urgent need for better transparency, stricter rules, and digital records to prevent misuse of Waqf properties.