AHMEDNAGAR: The alleged suicide of Tauseef Shaikh of Karjat, Ahmednagar, who was protesting against illegal encroachment and illegal construction at Waqf land is the first incident of its kind in the country. Maharashtra has earlier seen dozens of Maratha Youths committing suicide to build pressure for Maratha reservation recently.
Tauseef Shaikh is the first Muslim of Maharashtra who committed suicide by pouring petrol over himself at Tahsildar office in front of Ahmednagar District Collectors Office on Dec 21, 2018. He was very much disgusted as authorities were not paying attention to his applications and complaints against illegal encroachment of Waqf properties in Karjat tahsil of Ahmednagar district. Local Muslims are very much agitated after the death of Tauseef Shaikh and are blaming Waqf Land Mafia and corrupt officials for suicide and death of Tauseef Shaikh .
It is being said that Police registered a case against Tauseef Shaikh for committing suicide. But local Muslims and other residents are demanding that cases must be registered against those Waqf Land Mafia and officials involved in illegal encroachment of waqf land for abetment of suicide. They must be arrested under various penal offences. Waqf activists have demanded criminal cases under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and UAPA is registered against the waqf land mafia.
“This mafia has more money than the billionaires in the country and is very secretive and its lifeblood is absolute corruption and anti-constitutional. The Maharashtra waqf board is a mafia hub which is working against the nation and the people and they must be booked under the national security act and conspiring to rob the nation,” Karjat waqf officials said drawing a parallel with the Mumbai underworld. “The state waqf underworld is the most dangerous mafia organisation which is gaining legal credibility, a dangerous sign for the nation.” they told media persons
It is said that waqf land Mafia encroached upon prime plots which belonged to Peer Daval Malik Dev Asthan Muslim trust. This waqf property is situated at the main road of Karjat town, Ahmednagar. Tauseef Shaikh warned the local authorities to demolish all illegal encroachment on this prime Waqf land. He had warned the authorities that if they will not initiate action, he will commit suicide at Tehsildar office. It is said that Waqf land mafia and their supporter officers took this threat lightly.
But Tauseef Shaikh acted upon his warning. On December 20, 2018, he committed suicide by igniting himself at Tehsildar office. He succumbed to injuries the next day. Protests are going on since then.
Meanwhile, statewide human rights activists have claimed that Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya will pale into insignificance going by the large-scale corruption of waqf properties in Maharashtra which had taken place due to the alleged blessing of money powers, politicians, corrupt talathi, the lower and upper bureaucracy which is a very dangerous sign for the nation. The waqf mafia has become a murderous cult and it must be labelled as a terrorist organisation as it is hiding in the garb of corrupt officials, rich people, illegal operations etc, the activists have demanded to the state home and union home ministry through legal petitions. The Ahmednagar Muslim organisations have demanded protection of all waqf activists working for the cause of waqf land across Maharashtra under waqf Act and requested police to make waqf crime as a part of organised crime and waqf criminals as traitors to the nation.
