Ahmedabad: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is carrying out searches at 10 locations across the city in connection with a ₹100 crore fraud case involving Salim Jummakhan Pathan. He is accused of impersonating a Waqf Board trustee and illegally collecting rent from Waqf-owned properties.

The raids follow an FIR filed by Gaekwad Haveli police, which had earlier led to the arrest of five individuals for falsely claiming to be trustees of the Waqf Board. The accused allegedly collected rent from several properties, including the Kaanch Ni Masjid and the Shah Bada Qasam Trust in Jamalpur, without any official appointment by the Gujarat State Waqf Board.

Investigations revealed that the accused posed as authorized officials and collected rent from tenants occupying commercial spaces, some of which were on land leased to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for school premises. The school plot was originally allotted to AMC by the Waqf Board and was damaged during the 2001 earthquake. In 2009, the accused reportedly razed the building and began renting out the land.

Salim Pathan, a key accused, allegedly established Sodagar Construction in one of the rented shops and leased out other units, diverting all income without informing the Waqf Board or AMC. The ED’s action is part of a larger money laundering and financial fraud investigation. Further inquiries are underway. DeshGujarat