Telangana State Wakf Board seeks probe into demolition of Puranapul structure

CHARMINAR: The Telangana State Wakf Board (TSWB) on Monday called for a probe into the demolition of a religious structure in Puranapul by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) two days ago. The board said that the structure was demolished without consulting the board members.
Mohammed Saleem, TSWB chairman said that the board sought a probe into the demolition after Muslim groups protested against the civic body’s action saying that it was a Waqf property.“We are concerned about the demolition drive carried out by the GHMC two days ago. We want to know as to how they went ahead with the demolition without consulting us. A case has also been registered against those who had led the drive,” Mohammed Saleem, chairman, TSWB told TOI.
Talking about the demolition drive at Puranapul, Maulana Jaffar Pasha Husami said that the area was encroached upon by illegal occupants and no action was taken against them. “The real encroachment issue is not being taken seriously by the authorities. Such acts hurt people’s sentiments and this must stop,” he said.
Deccan Protection Society president Osman Bin Mohammed Al Hajri also urged TSWB to take serious note of the GHMC drive against religious places in the city.
Earlier, regular commuters and residents of Puranapul had made several complaints to the authorities concerned to evict illegal occupants from the decades-old area. “Puranapul is a busy junction and it will be convenient if motorists are allowed to use the old bridge,” S G Mahmood Hussain, who travels to Puranapul regularly, told TOI. However, GHMC officials refused to comment on the demolition of the structure.