Police case against farmers for plowing land claimed by the Waqf Board in K’taka

Amid this row, the Karnataka Police on Friday registered a case against farmers for plowing the land claimed by the Waqf Board in Thimmasandra village of Chintamani taluk in Chikkaballapura district of the state.

The situation became tense in the village following the incident, as farmers and a group of people engaged in heated arguments. The police rushed to the spot and checked the groups supporting the farmers and the Waqf Board.

Chikkaballapura SP Kushal Chouksey and Additional SP Kasim Raja rushed to the village in view of the seriousness of the matter. Additional police officers were dispatched to the village following the incident.

According to police, Jamia mosque leaders had fenced the property and put up a sign claiming ownership of the land. The Waqf also claims that it has a court order in this regard.

However, villagers Nagesh, Sriram Reddy, Ramaiah and others claiming ownership of the land and challenging the land records showing that the disputed land was owned by the Waqf, started plowing the land with a tractor. Seeing this, Muslim youths gathered at the spot and questioned the farmers.

The police team led by the DySP rushed to the spot and dispersed the crowd. Police asked both groups to produce property documents.

Waqf board members filed a complaint against the farmers in connection with the incident. Sources said the police had filed an FIR against the farmers under sections 324 (4) and 329 (3) of the NBS. However, the official statement is yet to be made regarding the incident.

Sources said records of agricultural lands owned by more than 10 farmers of the village in survey numbers 13/1 (2.21 acres), 13/3 (20 guntas), survey number 20 (1, 36 acres) are presented as property of the Waqf. Farmers are furious with this development and a tense situation exists in the village.

On the other hand, BJP MP from Bidar South, Shailendra Beldale, on Friday said he would resume the ‘Bengaluru Chalo’ agitation opposing the claim of thousands of acres of land by the Waqf Board in the district history of Bidar.

“The current Waqf law should be amended. Thousands of acres of agricultural lands, historical monuments, government hospitals and entire villages are presented as property of the Waqf board,” he charged.

Sources said the Waqf Board has claimed 13,295 acres of land in Bidar as its property and submitted documents in this regard to the district authorities. Land records already show that historical sites, tourist sites, government hospitals and fertile agricultural land are owned by the Waqf Board.

The Waqf Board in its submissions maintained that there are 2,747 institutes and 3,882 Waqf properties in Bidar district. The Waqf Board has already fenced 217 acres of land, sources confirmed.

(With inputs from IANS)