Delhi Waqf Board alleges scam by former chairman

The Delhi Waqf Board has alleged that its former chief had lent 62 bighas of land to a private developer for a meager annual rent of Rs 15,000 thus causing a huge loss to it.
The board has filed a complaint against its former chairman Chaudhary Mateen Ahmad with the Vigilance Directorate of the Delhi government.
It alleged that in 2006, Ahmad entered into an agreement with a private developer and gave away the land in Narela area "for a donation of Rs 1.10 crore and a rent of 25 paise per square yard for an indefinite period of time in violation of the Waqf Act".

Board's chairman and AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan said: "The Waqf Board is suffering huge losses. It is getting a meager Rs 15,000 as rent for the land whose market price is Rs 286 crore. This amounts to an annual rent of over Rs 7 crore".
"The scam came to light when the Waqf Board initiated a search for setting up a university in the name of freedom fighter Ashfaqullah Khan," Khan said.
The board has urged Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government to order a probe into the matter, he said.

However, Ahmad said the matter has already been probed by the ACB and the Lokayukta and nothing "irregular" was found in it.

"The land was lying useless in Delhi's outer area. It was properly advertised and bids were invited. The highest bidder got it on a rent of Rs 3,000 per bigha. Now, if Khan wants another probe, he may go for it. I have no objection whatsoever," he told PTI.
Khan, who became the board's chairman in March, has also filed complaint against Congress leader and ex-chief of the board Haroon Yusuf, alleging "he took services of a driver employed by the board even after becoming a minister in the Sheila Dikshit government in 2005".
A separate complaint was filed with the Vigilance Directorate in this regard.