Surat: The Gujarat State Waqf Tribunal directed its Chief Executive Officer to file an FIR for cheating and forgery against two trustees of a waqf property in Surat.

Trustees Noor Mohammed Bagwala and Mohammed Shafimiyan Shaikh of Khalifa Mohalla Masjid in Nanpura are accused of mismanaging waqf property by passing resolutions with forged signatures.

The tribunal annulled a waqf board order from October 2021 that had accepted a change report listing both individuals as mutavallis or trustees. It was found that the trustees allegedly used forged signatures in the resolution book without holding any meetings, a fact confirmed by residents who were unaware of any such gatherings.

Despite their roles as trustees, they failed to perform their duties sincerely and honestly. They had been managing the mosque’s affairs since 2007 but did not submit any audit reports to the waqf board. Additionally, they constructed a two-floor building on the waqf property and rented it out without notifying the local authorities or the board. The tribunal has also appointed an administrator to oversee the property for six months. DeshGujarat