ED investigates Waqf properties’ mismanagement in Gujarat

The Enforcement Directorate has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and conducted raids across Gujarat in connection with alleged irregularities involving Waqf properties, official sources said here on Tuesday.

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The action is based on an FIR filed by the Ahmedabad police, which accused several individuals of falsely claiming trusteeship of the Kanch Ki Masjid Trust and Shah Bada Kasam Trust.

According to the ED sources, the accused entered into fraudulent lease agreements, extorted rent from tenants and submitted forged affidavits to the Waqf Board to establish control over the trust’s land.

Nine locations linked to the suspects and their associates were searched by the ED’s Ahmedabad zonal office as part of the investigation.

Sources said the case centres on a plot of land adjacent to the Kanch Ki Masjid in Ahmedabad, originally owned by the trust and handed over to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) years ago to build two Urdu schools for children in grades 1 to 7. The schools were damaged in the 2001 earthquake and demolished in 2009.

Between 2008 and 2025, the land was allegedly encroached upon, with roughly 150–200 houses and 25–30 shops constructed illegally on the plot. The accused are believed to have collected monthly rent from these structures without depositing the funds into the trust’s accounts.

Investigators allege that in 2024, a forged affidavit was submitted to the Waqf Board in Gandhinagar to falsely claim trusteeship — used to mislead both the board and the AMC. The ED suspects this was part of a broader conspiracy to siphon off land and funds meant for community welfare.

The investigation comes amid a broader national debate over Waqf property regulation, following recent amendments to the Waqf Act, which the government says will increase transparency.