India

Waqf Board Warns of Fake Certificates Used to Seize Land

By Koride Mahesh

HYDERABAD – The Telangana Waqf Board has warned that fake no‑objection certificates (NOCs) and forged occupancy rights certificates (ORCs) are being used to acquire waqf land, obtain layout approvals and remove properties from the prohibited list. Board officials say the documents are allegedly issued by the board but are in fact fabricated. In one case, a NOC claimed that the board had no claim over 54 acres in Survey Nos. 233 and 316 of Atmakur mandal; the board says the document is fake. Another forged NOC, dated May 2022, was linked to Survey No. 463 in Maheshwaram village, Rangareddy district, where the board owns about 560 acres now worth thousands of crores. A further incident involved 21 acres in Kongara Khurd village, where layouts were developed using forged ORCs that presented the land as Inam. The ORCs bore a signature attributed to Bala Maya Devi, an IAS officer, from her 1998 tenure as revenue divisional officer; she has approached police for an inquiry. The board has alerted several government departments – including land administration, revenue, registration, stamps, Telangana RERA, panchayat raj, HMDA, GHMC and municipalities – to reject any purported waqf NOCs or clearance certificates. CEO Mohammed Asadullah told TOI that the Waqf Act and its 2025 amendment provide no authority for issuing such NOCs; any document claiming to be one should be treated as void. He urged departments to refer suspicious documents to the board for verification and warned that the board would not be liable for transactions based on forged certificates. Officials suspect that former officials and influential persons may be involved, especially around Maheshwaram mandal, where the board holds high‑value land. Board member Abul Fateh Syed Bandagi Badesha Quadri noted that irregularities also arise when ORCs are issued in individuals’ names instead of the waqf institution, citing a 1998 Supreme Court judgment that requires the religious institution’s name in revenue records. The board stresses that stricter scrutiny of land records, registrations and layout approvals is essential to prevent further loss of waqf properties.