Land worth ₹900 crore of Hazrat Wali Shah Dargah sold for just ₹9.5 crore !

A decision that was cancelled 19 years ago has been reversed !
Major scam involving the Waqf Board in Pune

Pune – Near the Pune-Mumbai highway in Baner, there is the Hazrat Wali Shah Dargah and a mosque. The Waqf Board-owned land in Baner — measuring 7 hectares and 34 gunthas, i.e., approximately 18 acres and 14 gunthas — has now been approved for sale at the same price as 19 years ago by Waqf Board CEO Junaid Sayyed.

Considering today’s market value, the land is estimated to be worth around ₹900 crore, but it has been sold for merely ₹9.5 crore. This decision by the Waqf Board and the order issued by the CEO have raised eyebrows. The Muslim community is demanding a thorough investigation into the matter. Mohsin Shaikh has appealed to the Muslim community to raise their voice against this massive scam.

What is the case?

1. Records of this land have been available since the year 1860. An order to sell the land was also issued in 2006. At that time, the Waqf Board had decided to sell the land for ₹9.5 crore; however, ₹7 crore from that amount was to be paid to the Waqf Board. Since this amount was not paid until 2009, the Waqf Board had cancelled the deal.

2. Several legal cases were filed in this matter. The courts issued different orders; however, suddenly on May 27, 2025, Junaid Syed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Waqf Board, issued a letter and declared valid the same illegal transaction that had been cancelled 19 years ago—at the exact same price. Today, the market value of this land is approximately ₹900 crore.

Register as ‘Occupant Class One’

In the letter addressed to the revenue officials, Junaid Syed stated that according to the provisions under the then Section 108 of the Waqf Act 1995, these provisions take precedence over any other law. Therefore, since the Waqf Board has granted permission for the sale under Section 51, the property is considered to be removed from the ‘inam’ (granted land) category and is now classified as ‘freehold land’—meaning complete and permanent ownership by the holder. Hence, all remarks should be removed, including the ‘Occupant Class 2, Inam Class 3’ label, and the land’s 7/12 extract should be updated to reflect ‘Occupant Class One’.