Andhra Pradesh   

Defamation suit against former Collector

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, MAY 5. The muthavali of the Jamia mosque and its attached institutions here, K.M. Safiullah, has filed a defamation and damages suit for Rs. 10.12 lakhs against the Project Coordinator of the Andhra Pradesh Urban Services Programme, Somesh Kumar, formerly District Collector, in the Principal Senior Civil Judge Court here.

In his petition, Mr. Safiullah alleged that the then Collector had recommended a probe and seizure of the records of the mosque without any intimation on false complaints given by some persons. The Collector had charged him with misappropriation of Rs. 63 lakhs without any proof and damaged his reputation in society, he submitted.

Appointed permanent muthavali of the Jamia mosque by the AP Wakf Board on June 1, 1985, Mr. Safiullah was suspended from the post on January 18, 2003, by the Wakf Board on a report sent by the then Collector. The former Collector had recommended a probe against the muthavali. The State Government had then appointed Md. Shafiq-Uz-Zaman, a senior IAS officer, to probe the charges against the muthavali.

The inquiry officer, after a probe, exonerated the muthavali of all charges as there was no proof for any of the allegations and the Wakf Board reinstated the muthavali on December 1, 2003. The muthavali issued a registered notice to Mr. Somesh Kumar on December 29, 2003, but did not get any reply within the stipulated 15 days.

Mr. Safiullah appealed to the court to pass a decree in his favour and direct Mr. Somesh Kumar to pay damages of Rs. 10 lakhs and Rs. 12,426 towards court fee.

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