Waqf Board claims entire Vellore village; asks villagers to pay rent, tax for dargah

The Waqf Board has recently claimed an entire village in Tamil Nadu's Vellore and allegedly declared their land as Waqf property. Around 150 families received notice declaring the land as Waqf property. 

The notices were allegedly issued by F Syed Satham, who claimed the land in Vellore's Kattukollai belonged to a local dargah. It also demanded that the villagers either vacate the place immediately or start paying tax for the dargah.

As per one of the notices accessed by India Today, Satham accused a man named Balaji of encroaching on Waqf land registered under survey number 362.

The notice even accused him of constructing a house and a shop on the property, which as per Waqf records, belongs to the mosque. It also said that residents must seek permission, pay ground rent, and comply with Waqf laws or face legal eviction. 

The families who have received the notice depend completely on agriculture for their survival. After receiving the notice, the families marched to the collector's office with government-issued documents for their land and sought protection and clarity. 

Hindu Munnani leader Mahesh, who led the villagers' protest at the Collector's office, demand immediate action from the district administration. 

“These villagers are living for at least four generations in the area and have all the government issued documents. Land under survey number 330/1 has been declared as Waqf land,” he said. 

Besides this, he urged the administration to issue land ownership documents to the residents in order to safeguard their rights and ensure their continued livelihood. 

The residents, however, have considered it their own. They are upset that Satham is now demanding rent when his father never did. 

Satham became the caretaker of the dargah and the mosque after his father's death in 2021. He claimed that the land belonged to the Waqf Board since 1954, while adding he has documents to prove this claim. 

Since his late father reportedly lacked formal education and awareness, he did not collect any rent from those living on the land. Sadam now intends to rectify this mistake by collecting rent from residents. 

He even said that two more notices will be sent to the residents and if there is no response, the matter will be taken to the High Court. Meanwhile, the Vellore District Collector has formally advised the residents to not pay rent for now.