Madhya Pradesh Waqf Claim: A land dispute has taken a major turn in Sihada village of Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh. The Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board Tribunal has issued notices to the District Collector, the village Sarpanch, and the Panchayat Secretary, claiming that the entire village, with a population of around 10,000, is Waqf property. All officials have been summoned to appear before the Tribunal in Bhopal on November 10, said reports.
According to reports, the controversy began after the Gram Panchayat issued a notice to a local Dargah committee, stating that the Dargah structure was built on government land and needed to be removed for the construction of a new Panchayat complex. Following this, the Dargah committee approached the Waqf Board, which in turn claimed that the land did not belong to the Panchayat but was registered under the Waqf Board.
According to the Dargah committee’s treasurer, Sheikh Shafi, the land was recorded as Waqf property in the state gazette dated August 25, 1989, under serial number 331. He stated that the site is nearly 300 years old and includes an Imam Bargah, Dargah, and graveyard, and therefore the Panchayat has no right to alter or remove the structures.
Meanwhile, Sarpanch Kokilabai and Panchayat Secretary Devaraj Singh Sisodia have both received notices from the Tribunal. The Sarpanch’s representative, Hemant Chauhan, rejected the Waqf Board’s claim, stating that the land is government-owned, and the village contains houses, temples, and public buildings on it. He expressed concern that if the Waqf claim is accepted, entire families in the village could lose their homes.
The case is now pending before the Madhya Pradesh State Waqf Tribunal, where both sides will present evidence on November 10.
