India News | SC Directs UP to File Status Report on Constitution, Functioning of Waqf Tribunals

New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) The Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a status report on the constitution and functioning of the Waqf Tribunals in the state.

A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai expressed concern that only one Waqf Tribunal was functioning in the state.

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"If you have not taken steps then take steps immediately otherwise clients will suffer. The problem is that they will go to the high courts.

"In the meanwhile, the State of Uttar Pradesh is directed to file a status report about the constitution and functioning of the Waqf Tribunals in the State," the bench said.

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The top court was hearing an appeal filed by one Shah Alam against an order of the Allahabad high court which had dismissed his plea.

Alam had requested the high court to quash a notification through which the Uttar Pradesh government had constituted Waqf Tribunals at only two places - - Lucknow and Rampur - - in the entire state.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that despite the top court's judgement in the Lal Shah Baba Dargah Trust case clearly stating that one-member Waqf Tribunals would not cease to exist because of the constitution of multi-member Tribunals, the situation on the ground is different.

When the apex court bench asked about the status of Waqf Tribunals, the Uttar Pradesh government counsel sought three weeks' time to get instructions.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)