EXCLUSIVE: The man who dug up the Rs 2.3 lakh crore Wakf land scam

Eight years after his report was prepared, Anwar Manipaddy is a relieved man.

His 7,000-page report, which blew the lid off a mammoth Rs 2.3 lakh crore misappropriation and swindling of Wakf Board land involving many Congress and former JD-S politicians, has finally been tabled in the Karnataka assembly.

In his report, which was accessed exclusively by Asianet Newsable, Manipaddy mentions names of big Congress leaders and many other IAS, IPS and KAS officers.

But the real battle is only beginning. 

The former Karnataka Minority Commission is now seeking for a CBI probe as he feels there are chances of evidence tempering. 

Manipaddy spoke exclusively to Asianet Newsable's Yacoob:

Your Commission report on Wakf property scam was recently tabled. Tell us about the report and why there was a delay in tabling the report 

As everybody knows, the report was submitted by me as the chairman of the Minorities Commission on March 26, 2012. The BJP government then was short-lived. They were not able to complete the process of tabling the report in both the Houses. But that (report) had been taken across to the cabinet and two tasks groups were formed -- one in Bengaluru and one at the district level. And they enacted six acts which are the greatest gift the minorities can get from any government from any party. That was what we have given in 2013. It was gazette notified on May 10, 2013.

But unfortunately, after BJP lost, Congress came to power. They were supposed to have tabled it but they did not do so. The fight went on. We filed a Public Interest Litigation. We won and the high court ordered my report to be tabled.

After that, Legislature Council Chairman DH Shankaramurthy directed that the report be tabled. Even then, they did not do it. Then a contempt case was filed and the government also lost there too. And then the case went to the Supreme Court. Even there they were late. The Supreme Court condoned the delay, but the case was dismissed and told court directed that the report should be tabled. 

This was the biggest step taken by any commission in this country.  We fought for eight years and won this battle for justice.

What is the extent of the scam?

The day I submitted the report, the scam was worth was Rs 2.3 lakh crore. After this when it came in papers and television, many people sent me papers from their villages and districts. If we take that also into consideration, the scam will go past well over Rs 4 lakh crore plus. This Rs 4 lakh crore is only the sub-registrar value. If we take market value, the total scam will be worth Rs 25 lakh crore.

How big the report is and who all have been named?

The way in which the (Wakf) property has been looted, I have detailed that in the 7,000-page report I submitted. In this, you cannot say who is there and who is not there. You take a guess, that person's name will be there.

You have taken names of Congress leaders and bureaucrats

It is an evidential report that I have given, which nobody ever denhy. It has survey reports, gazette notification, DC's report, AC's report, Apex Court's reports, Divisional Commissioner's report and everything. Many good, honest IAS officers have authenticated it. Many IAS and IPS officers are also involved in looting these properties too.

Is it true that you were under pressure to dump this report or tone it down?

They even promised to deposit huge sums in children's names who were abroad. They (children) in fact are doing well. They (accused persons) said you go away for ten months, we will take care of the rest here. In fact, one Mr Riyaz offered me bribe. I had recorded it and gave it to the police.

You mentioned former Union minister Rehman Khan's associate Obedulla Sheriff laid his hands on the Ajmer Dargah. Could you detail what his role was there?

As a reward, then Union Minister Rehman Khan made Obedulla chairman of the Ajmer Dargah. From Ajmer I get a report, that as chairman he was putting his hand in every pie. It went to the extent of food prepared in the premises of Ajmer Sharif. He used to take a commission of Rs 200 for every vessel in which food was cooked. Thousands of vessels are used at the shrine and many organizations cook food. He took a commission from there. I call him 'chindi chor' (cheap) because he did not even spare the commission on firewood used for cooking purposes. Such people were made chairman by Rehman Khan. Obedullah brought disrepute to Karnataka.

Why are you seeking a CBI report? Don't you have faith in state agencies?

It's not my demand alone. I have said in my report that if we have to take the case to a legal and logical end, this report should be given to the CBI. That's because the crux of the report is that the people who have been named are still associated with Wakf. Wakf Board officials and Congress leaders are involved. They are still members in the present-day Wakf administration. Three officials are there and it becomes easy to tamper the proof and derail a probe.  So that is why some kind of agency which has a clear-cut image and which has handled this kind of a situation should probe. So ideally CBI has to take up the investigation on all these embezzlements.

What will happen if at all the CBI takes over the case? You also mentioned about the money used in elections. Is the money coming from Wakf properties?

A lot of people will end up behind bars because the sclae of looting or embezzlement that they have done is blatant. It is like daylight robbery. They have done it with Wakf property. This apart, a lot of money was used for elections.

In Karnataka, I feel sorry to say that the precedent of spending money on election was started by minority leaders. How do they make money? When elections are nearing, they catch hold of a Mutavalli (person connected with Masjids, Dargahs under Wakf's ambit) and get a No Objection certificate. After the property is sold then the money gets distributed. The dealing happens like this: 'You take Rs 1 crore... your constituency is small, Rs 50 lakh will be enough...  yours is a big constituency, you take Rs 1.5 crore.' The loot of our properties is unmeasurable.