Waqf injunction in Manikonda Jagir case

HYDERABAD: The state Waqf Tribunal on Monday granted temporary injunction restraining Lanco Hills Technology Park Ltd and other respondents in the Manikonda Jagir case from alienating the property in their possession.
The tribunal presiding officer Syed Anwaruddin had taken up the hearing of the case on the direction of the high court that had acted on the petition filed by the LHTPL seeking vacation of the status quo order on the sale, alienation, transfer, mortgage, exchange and lease of the property imposed by the tribunal.The court had said that the case should be heard and disposed of by February 28. The incumbent presiding officer is retiring on March 31.
The tribunal had passed the status quo order on February 14 in relation to the entire property in Manikonda Jagir admeasuring 1654.32 acre. The share of LHTPL there is 108.10 acre. Besides Lanco, there are 16 other respondents in the case, including the SWB and APIIDC.
The injunction order issued in suit number 7 of 2011 was filed by Syed Abdul Ghaffar, advocate, on behalf of the managing committee of the Dargah Hazrath Hussain Shah Ali. The Manikonda Jagir had been endowed to the dargah in the last century. Abdul Ghaffar had stressed on the illegality of sale of land by government to big business houses and others in Manikonda.
The LHTPL counsel had said that his client bought the land in open auction by depositing a certain amount with the government. He had also claimed that the property did not belong to the dargah as after the Jagir Abolition Act, it was inherited by the state government.
The other respondents in the case include Emaar Properties, Emaar Hills Township, Boulder Hills Leisure, Microsoft India, Infosys Technology, Wipro, VJIL Consulting Ltd, Polaris Software Lab, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Indian School of Business, Deloitte, Gold Edge Green Living, and Phoenix Living Space.
The tribunal has posted the next hearing on April 6.