Fake NOCs and forged ORCs used to seize Telangana waqf lands, board warns

The Telangana Waqf Board reports a wave of fraud in which bogus no-objection certificates and falsified occupancy-rights certificates are being used to appropriate its properties and obtain planning clearances. In one instance, a fake NOC claimed the board had no claim over 54 acres in Atmakur mandal, while another forged document for Maheshwaram village sought to erase a gazette notification, jeopardising land worth thousands of crores.

A further case involved a 21-acre parcel in Kongara Khurd that was turned into a layout after a forged ORC, allegedly signed by IAS officer Bala Maya Devi during her 1998 tenure. The board has warned agencies such as HMDA, GHMC, the revenue and registration departments, and others to treat any waqf-related NOC as null and refer it for verification. CEO Mohammed Asadullah emphasized that the Waqf Act provides no basis for such certificates and that officials who rely on them could face liability. Authorities suspect involvement of former officials and influential figures in these schemes.