KARACHI: The Federal Inve­stigation Agency (FIA) has booked some senior officials of the Sindh cultural department and other suspects for cheating and forging property documents leading to the sale and subsequent demolition of a decades-old Hindu property on Napier Road.

A statement issued by the Sindh zone of the agency said that a case was registered against culture department officials Fauzia Mursaleen, Mir Nosh Khan, Ejaz Ahmed Rind, two tenants of the building Iqbal Swati and Abdul Rahman, builder Danish Yousuf and others.

They were booked under Sections 109 (abetment), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

“The case was registered in line with the orders of the Supreme Court, which had issued directives in a case pertaining to demolition of Dharmshala in Napier,” an FIA statement said.

FIA has conducted probe on SC order into sale of Dharamshala in Napier

“In an inquiry conducted by the FIA it was found that the building was sold with a fake NOC [no objection certificate] in connivance with Sindh cultural department officers and staff members. The process was also facilitated by two individuals who were living in the building as tenants. The role of Evacuee Property Trust Board [EPTB] and its officials in this scam is also being closely scrutinised,” it added.

On a complaint filed by Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, the Supreme Court had last month asked the EPTB chairman to appear personally and explain the alleged sale of a Hindu property called Dharmshala.

Dr Vankwani is the patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC). He claimed that an inquiry had found that the ETPB had forged documents to prove that the Sindh heritage department issued a no-objection certificate for the demolition of the Dharamshala — a shelter for Hindu pilgrims. The piece of land, spread over 716 square yards, was then handed over to a builder for construction of a shopping centre. On June 11, the Supreme Court had ordered the Sindh government and the ETPB not to demolish any part of the Dharamshala.

The apex court had directed the Karachi commissioner to take over the building so that no person trespassed upon the premises.

In his application, Dr Vankwani requested the apex court to transfer the control of the premises to the management of the nearby Baghani Temple.

He called for an inquiry by the FIA into the alleged forging of documents and demolition of the heritage property by the ETPB.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2021