Hyderabad: Youths gathered at Qutub Shahi Masjid of Durgam Cheruvu for the Juma prayers on Friday demanding a fair investigation into the mysterious drowning of the Imam of the masjid, whose body was found in the lake 20 days ago, and protection of Wakf properties. Chairman of the Wakf Board Mohammed Saleem, who had promised to visit the masjid could not do so as it was a holiday but he assured the protesting youths he will visit on Monday.
President of the Insaan Foundation India Osman Mohammed Khan said that 20 days have elapsed since the mysterious drowning of Imam Hafiz Mohammed Imran Khan, but the police have no explanation to offer.
“We have doubt that he was murdered. We demand higher officials of the police direct the case and nab the culprits if it was murder,” Mr Osman Khan said. He said there is a threat to the existence of this masjid as the beatification and development work of the Durgam Cheruvu has come quite close to the mosque which was built on the banks of the lake.
He said the mosque should be restored, as it was partly demolished two years ago. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has failed to fulfil his promise of protecting wakf properties, he said, and added that in the last six years, the Wakf Board has not been able to regain possession of a single wakf property that had been illegally grabbed. The Wakf Board is losing cases in the courts due to the weak legal team. Mr Khan said he had asked the chairman of the Wakf Board to visit the mosque along with officials of the Revenue department, GHMC and HMDA to resolve the issue. He hoped that Mr Saleem will protect this masjid.
