RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, July 13: The Jharkhand High Court today imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the state government for not constituting Sunni Waqf Board tribunal.
Justice Rajesh Shanker passed the order while hearing a petition filed related to Anjuman Islamia election. Akil Ur Rahman and Abdul Mannan had filed the petition and raised doubt over the genuineness of the voters’ list prepared for the election.
Advocate A Rashidi confirmed the development saying that the high court was of the opinion that it was wrong to bring those matters before the higher court and consume its precious time which can be solved at the lower level. The fine amount will be paid by the Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste, Minority and Backward Class Welfare department as the matter is related to it.
Advocate Rashidi, who was appearing on behalf of Mannan, said the court while imposing the fine directed the Sunni Waqf Board CEO to conduct the election under its supervision. For that, the high court directed him to constitute a supervisory committee of five members who will examine the voters’ list prepared for the election and go through the representation that came with it.
The court, Rashidi said, gave a time of two weeks to get the verification work completed and after completion of the verification work directed to complete the election within 21 days.
The voters’ list prepared for Anjuman Islamia election had come under the scanner of the district administration in November last year after state minister Hafizul Hassan knocked the door of the deputy commissioner pointing out irregularities in its publication.
Hassan alleged that the name of 1845 votes appears in the voters’ list, suggesting that the election committee is under the influence of someone who added many names from those organisations running in remote areas of the district and are fake and left many those names from those organisations running in the city and are active.
Pointing out irregularities, Hassan had asked the DC to stop the election. The DC had also directed to stop the election.
Anjuman Islamia, was established on August 15, 1917 by Maulana Azad, to run Madara Islamia in Upper Bazar after Azad reached Ranchi in April 1916. It is a central organisation of Muslims.
