Encroachment on Waqf land now a non-bailable offence

With the amendments to the Waqf Act passed by Parliament recently coming into force from November 1, the encroachment on waqf property, believed to be a rampant phenomenon across Karnataka, has been made a cognisable and a non-bailable offence.

Chairman of Karnataka State Board of Waqfs R Abdul Reyaz Khan told The Hindu that the amended Act had enlarged the definition of encroachers to include “any person or institution, public or private occupying waqf property, in whole or part and includes a person whose tenancy, lease or license has expired or has been terminated by the mutawalli (trustee) or the Board”.