MUMBAI, 6 July 2007 — Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who returned to Mumbai from the US early yesterday denied that his brother Dilip Deshmukh had acquired Waqf land in Aurangabad illegally. “Dilip has not acquired any Waqf land nor is he connected with it. Even the Supreme Court has given a verdict in his favor,” Deshmukh said.
Asked whether he is aware that the government has ordered the Waqf Board to take possession of Waqf properties in five districts of the state including the one bought by industrialist Mukesh Ambani, Deshmukh said he is yet to read the government’s order. “But as far as I know, the Waqf Board had given a no-objection certificate for the sale of the five Waqf lands,” he said.
When asked whether his government would order an inquiry into the irregularities in the Waqf Board by the Criminal Investigation Department, Deshmukh said a probe would be ordered if necessary.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Waqf Board yesterday issued notices to Antilia Commercial Private Limited, the company owned by Ambani, and five others who have purchased Waqf properties. The notices were a follow-up to the government’s notification on Wednesday asking the Waqf Board to initiate proceedings for the return of the land to Waqf Board. The state government declared the sale of Waqf land as “illegal and void” and ordered that the Ambani firm hand over the possession of the 4,532 square meter of land where Ambani is building a 27-story skyscraper.
In another development, the government has served a notice on M.A. Aziz, the chairman of the Maharashtra Waqf Board, and action against him was being contemplated because of his possible alleged role in the illegal sale of Waqf lands.
Spokesman for the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, Hussain Dalwai, speaking to journalists yesterday demanded that the Waqf land sold to Ambani should be returned to the Waqf Board.
