Register SMC HQ as Waqf property: Petition in HC

Surat: A petition has been filed in the Gujarat high court seeking registration of the Surat’s ancient monument Mughal Sarai, which currently houses the city civic body’s headquarters,

as Waqf property.

Abdul Vadood Jarullah (70), trustee of Humanyun Sarai mosque has approached the high court with a special leave application (SLP) which was admitted on Wednesday.

Jarullah had stated in his petition that he first filed the application before Gujarat State Waqf Board for registering the Mughal Sarai as Waqf property under the provisions of section 36 and 41 of the Waqf Act. He had also submitted certified copies of deed of Waqf and other documents on April 10, 2015. It was after the Gujarat Waqf Board failed to register the property under Waqf Act, he represented it to the Central Waqf Council for intervention.

Since 2016, the Central Waqf Council has directed the Gujarat Waqf Board on three occasions to register Mughal Sarai as Waqf property based on the valid evidence dating back to the 1644 AD, but the property was not registered. Jarullah moved the Waqf Tribunal in 2019, but the tribunal did not have supervisory jurisdiction over Gujarat State Waqf Board for issuing directions.

According to Jarullah, the present day ancient structure housing SMC headquarters was built by Ishaqbeg Yazdi alias Hakikat Khan in the area known as Mulla Chakla in 1644 AD during the period of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and was popularly known as ‘Mughal Sarai’. It was an inn for Surat’s Hajjis. Hakikat Khan had Waqf the property in the name of Allah.

The detailed description of the sarai was inscribed on two marble plaques each 3.65m long which were placed at the entrance gateway of the Sarai till middle of 19th century. But later, these plaques were dumped in a room and left unattended. Thanks to the efforts of RD Banerjee, superintendent of Archaeological Survey of Western Circle, Pune, that these inscriptions were transferred to the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai in 1921, which was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in 1998.