Rajasthan HC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance Of Several Buildings, Lands Listed As Waqf Properties In Jodhpur
Among the properties allegedly shown on Umeed portal as Waqf properties are Geeta Bhavan, Sohanlal Manihar School, Shah Govardhan College and temples
Published : July 28, 2026 at 2:17 PM IST
Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court on Monday took suo motu cognizance of allegations that several prominent buildings, educational institutions, temples, judges' residences and large tracts of residential and commercial land in Jodhpur have been listed as Waqf properties on the Umeed portal.
A division bench comprising Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Justice Praveer Bhatnagar issued notices to the Central and Rajasthan governments, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Waqf authorities, the Revenue Department and the Jodhpur District Collector, among others, seeking their responses.
The court also appointed advocate Moti Singh Rajpurohit as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter.
The bench summoned former Jodhpur Municipal Corporation councillor Shailendra Bhandari, who had earlier approached the Waqf Board and the district administration over the issue. Bhandari appeared before the court and submitted documents relating to the properties in question.
According to Bhandari, several properties were allegedly registered as Waqf properties due to errors or negligence at the local level. He claimed that the records uploaded on the portal included properties that are recorded in the revenue records in the name of the municipal corporation.
The matter came to light after data relating to Waqf properties was uploaded on the Umeed portal under the new legal framework governing Waqf properties.
Among the properties allegedly shown on the portal as Waqf properties are the prominent Geeta Bhavan, Sohanlal Manihar School, Shah Goverdhanlal Kabra Teachers College, two residences of Rajasthan High Court judges, four temples and two Nyati Bhavans. Several residential and commercial areas have also allegedly been included.
Three khasra (specific land) numbers — 482, 485 and 490 — have reportedly been cited in the Waqf records. Bhandari and others have questioned the inclusion of these properties, claiming that the corresponding land records show them as belonging to the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation.
The issue has triggered concern among institutions and residents who fear that the listing could lead to future ownership claims.
Rajesh Lodha, general secretary of the Geeta Prachar Mandal, said the Geeta Bhavan premises had been registered in the name of the organisation in a Rajasthan government gazette notification issued in 1965.
"There are several schools, colleges and judges' residences in the area. The khasra land is recorded in the name of the municipal corporation. We do not know how it was included as Waqf property. We will seek legal advice and take appropriate action. We will also request the government to conduct an inquiry," Lodha said.
He further claimed that in the past, the Waqf Board had issued no-objection certificates to certain people stating that the properties concerned did not belong to the Waqf Board.
VHP Joins The Issue With Jodhpur Councillor
Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also raised objections over the alleged inclusion of the properties.
VHP provincial joint minister Mahendra Bharadwaj alleged that even the residences of judges had been listed as Waqf properties.
"Geeta Bhavan has also been registered in this manner. If such properties can be claimed, what will happen when claims are made over the properties of ordinary people? We will take up the matter with the government and, if necessary, launch a protest," Bharadwaj said.
The VHP also alleged that the data had been uploaded from the office of an institution, instead of the office of the Minority Welfare Officer, resulting in errors and confusion in the records.
Attempts to contact Jaipur-based Waqf Board CEO Abu Sufiyan for his response were unsuccessful.
According to documents cited in the matter, a large tract measuring around 36.01 bighas in Jodhpur has also come under scrutiny. The land was reportedly renamed in official records on March 12, 2016, but parts of the area are allegedly recorded as a graveyard, even though hundreds of houses have since been constructed there.
The properties allegedly listed as Waqf also include several residential and commercial areas, two Rajasthan High Court judges' bungalows, Geeta Bhavan and other educational institutions. Satguru Kabir Ashram and Geeteshwar Mahadev Temple have also reportedly appeared in the Waqf Gazette.
Khasra Nos. 482 and 485 are reportedly recorded as graveyards in the jamabandi (official document on land ownership) records. However, while portions of the land are allegedly being used as cemeteries, other parts have been developed and are occupied by residential and other establishments.
Maru Lohar Sikligaron Mandir in Khasra No. 485 and Jinagar Nyati Bagchi at Sivanchi Gate in Khasra No. 482 have also been mentioned in connection with the dispute.
Bhandari said he had earlier submitted a complaint to the district administration alleging that Hindu temples and other properties had been uploaded on the Waqf portal and registered as Waqf properties.
He claimed that of the 595 Waqf properties listed in Jodhpur district, 571 had been approved by the Rajasthan Waqf Board, while 80 of the 89 properties listed in Phalodi district had reportedly been approved.
Bhandari attributed the situation to alleged negligence and errors at multiple levels, claiming that properties had been registered without proper verification and, in some cases, without the involvement of the concerned mutawallis.
Another property under scrutiny is Tunwarji Ka Jhalra, a historic water structure located in the old city of Jodhpur. According to available historical accounts cited in the dispute, the structure is believed to be around 250 years old and was constructed during the reign of Maharaja Abhay Singh Rathore.
However, it has reportedly been recorded as a Waqf property only since 1965 and is alleged to have been described in connection with a site associated with Tazia processions.
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