Kolkata, Aug 26: The Calcutta High Court today rejected the anticipatory bail prayer of Shehnaz Begum, who, along with the wife of former WAKF board member, Hamimul Huda, had allegedly occupied a WAKF estate property by force and later got it ratified by the board.
It was alleged that Shehnaz had colluded with Huda's wife to forcibly occupy a 250-square-foot room at Khairunnesa Bibi WAKF estate at market street in the new market police station area in the heart of the metropolis in 1987.
The then official caretaker of the estate, Asraf Hossain, reported the matter to WAKF board.
It was claimed that Huda, who was then the member of the board, persuaded the board to grant tenancy to Shehnaz and Huda's wife for Rs 90 per month only, which according to official rate should have been Rs 850.
The controversy over the WAKF board scam took centre stage when the Trinamool Congress leader, Mamata Banerjee, had written to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1996 claiming misappropriation of WAKF estates and funds.

The West Bengal government had consequently formed the G R Bhattacharya committee whose report confirmed that WAKF estates had indeed been squandered.

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Following this, D N De, minority development department, West Bengal, filed an fir on the basis of the commission's report at hare street police station.

Hearing both the parties, the division bench comprising Justice Amit Talukdar and Justice P N Sinha rejected the anticipatory bail prayer of Shehnaz.
Bureau Report