MP HC Dismisses PIL Challenging Auction Of Waqf Land Lease

Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court held the PIL is not maintainable on grounds taken to challenge the MP Waqf Board order for auction of leasehold rights of its agricultural land.

The court dismissed a petition challenging the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board, Bhopal order of May 8, 2025, whereby notice is issued for auction of lease-hold rights of the Waqf agricultural lands.

The two grounds taken in the PIL include the chief executive officer who issued the order is not a full-time CEO and only Mutawalli is authorized to carry such an auction and not the Board, thus the auction process is illegal.

A division bench of Justice Vivek Agrawal and Justice Vivek Jain 'We are of the opinion that this PIL is not maintainable on both the grounds put forth by the advocate for the petitioner'.

The court held the CEO is a Muslim and also a gazetted officer not below the rank of deputy secretary of the State government thus is a full-time CEO as per provisions in section 23 of the Waqf Act, 1995.

Similarly, as per provisions of Rule 4, Waqf Properties Lease Rules, 2014 the Mutawalli or Board are authorized to give Waqf property on lease, the court order said. The court dismissed the PIL.