Sharief demands Judicial probe into Wakf property scam

Describing as ‘politically motivated’ charges that he has encroached on Wakf property, former Union minister C K Jaffer Sharief on Wednesday urged the state Government to order a judicial probe into the findings of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission on the issue. “The said report appears to be not on detailed enquiry and not on true facts. It appears to be politically motivated to tarnish the image of senior minority community leaders,more particularly those in congress and other opposition parties,” Sharief, whose name also reportedly figures among the Wakf property encroachers in the report, told reporters here.

He demanded that the government order a judicial enquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into encroachment and illegal transactions of Wakf properties and into affairs of Amanath Cooperative Bank and Al-Ameen Medical College, Bijapur. Sharief alleged that the Al-Ameen Medical College, earlier run by a trust, has now been transferred a private individual.

Rajya Sabha member K Rehman Khan is associated with these two institutions. Sharief was one of the aspirants for the Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka in the recently held biennial election, but Congress re-nominated Khan for the fourth successive term. Sharief refused to answer questions on this issue.

The State Minorities Commission has submitted a report to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on March 26 alleging that about Rs two lakh crore Wakf properties have been encroached by powerful people, including politicians.