Nine individuals have been arrested by the Gujarat police for vandalizing two Hindu-owned shops in Rajkot on December 31, 2024. The assailants also forcibly evicted the shop owners, falsely claiming the properties were Waqf land. Among those arrested is Farooqbhai Ibrahimbhai Musani, the trustee of Nawab Mosque in the Danapith area. The vandals targeted shops located near the mosque, asserting they were Waqf properties and demanded that the owners vacate.
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The detained individuals include Musani, along with Zakirbhai Habibbhai Musani, Gafarbhai Satarbhai Alani, Irfanbhai Abdulbhai Solanki, Fareedbhai Tayabbhai Shikar, Yunusbhai Haji Bhai Musani, Ameenbhai Mahmoodbhai Chauhan, Ikbalbhai Kamalbhai Setani, and Sarfaraz Mahmadbhai Sheikh.
The police have since returned the possession of the shops to the Hindu traders. Harsh Sanghavi, the Minister of State for Home, Industries, Transport, and Youth & Sports, shared the update on Twitter.
What was the incident?
The Rajkot Police have registered a case against a group of around 25 individuals, including Farooq Musani, for vandalizing two shops owned by Hindu traders. The accused reportedly broke into the shops at night, forcing open the locks, and threw the merchandise onto the street, causing damage.
Upon discovering the incident, the shopkeepers protested. However, the accused asserted that the shops were Waqf properties and that they had received orders to act accordingly.
Following the incident, one of the victims, Virendrabhai Kotecha, filed a complaint at the Rajkot A-Division Police Station against Farooq Musani and several unidentified individuals. The complaint was submitted late on December 31st, and an FIR was registered against five identified individuals on January 1st. The charges include Sections 189(3), 190, 329(3), and 351(2). OpIndia has obtained a copy of the FIR.
According to the FIR, the incident occurred on the night of December 31st, 2024, when Farooq Musani and others forcibly entered shops in the Old Danapith area of Rajkot, citing an order from the Waqf Board. They damaged the locks of two shops and scattered the belongings of the Hindu traders on the street. These shops had been leased to the traders for decades, and the incident has sparked significant outrage among the local business community. Virendrabhai Kotecha, who had operated a mandap service business from one of the shops for 50 years, condemned the act and called for action.
The complainant initially believed the shops were managed by the Nawab Masjid Trust but later learned that the land on which they were built belonged to the PWD department.
On the evening of December 31st, 2024, Virendrabhai was sitting at his nephew’s shop when he saw a group, including Farooq Musani, forcibly break into two shops. They began throwing goods out onto the street, one of which belonged to the complainant.
Virendrabhai immediately rushed to his shop and confronted Musani, asking him to stop. Musani reportedly claimed that he was a trustee of Nawab Masjid and had received orders from the Gujarat State Waqf Board to clear the shops. He allegedly threatened another shopkeeper, demanding that they vacate the premises or risk having their goods thrown out. Musani also insisted that the shops be handed over to the mosque.
Musani provided an order from the Gujarat State Waqf Board dated December 19th, 2024, allegedly instructing the immediate transfer of possession of the shops to the mosque. After the incident, Virendrabhai contacted the police, and officers from the Rajkot A-Division Police Station arrived at the scene. Subsequently, the complainant filed a formal complaint against Farooq Musani and the others involved.
OpIndia spoke with Virendrabhai Kotecha, who confirmed that a group of around 20 to 25 individuals, including Farooq Musani, had stormed his shop without any prior notice. “They forcibly broke the locks and began throwing goods out onto the street. Farooq Musani and others entered the shops unlawfully and discarded the goods. Even now, my shop’s belongings are lying on the road,” he said.
Kotecha further explained, “After being shown the Waqf Board’s order, we consulted our lawyer in Ahmedabad. According to the Waqf Board’s regulations, possession of any property requires issuing three notices as prior intimation. However, we did not receive even a single notice. The order was dated December 19th, yet the locks were broken directly on December 31st, which violates the rules.”
Regarding the issue, Jagdish Bangarwa, DCP of Rajkot City Zone-2, commented, “A complaint has been filed against five individuals, including Farooq Musani. A letter has surfaced claiming that the shops were vacated following an order from the Waqf Board. Verification of this letter is underway. The Waqf Board’s own instructions state that possession must be taken following proper procedures, which include issuing notices and conducting eviction in the presence of police. Since these rules were not followed, action has been initiated.”
In a recent update on the case, it has been reported that the police have returned the belongings of the attacked shops to the Hindu traders. Additionally, it has emerged that the properties previously claimed as Waqf property were, in fact, encroachments and originally belonged to the PWD department.
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