The Karnataka State Board of Auqaf has lodged a police complaint against its former Chief Executive Officer, Zulfiqarulla, for an alleged misappropriation of over Rs 4 crore. The Chief Accounts Officer, Meer Ahmed Abbas, has accused his predecessor of causing a total loss of Rs 8.03 crore to the state exchequer. The High Grounds police have registered a case against Zulfiqarulla under Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which pertains to criminal breach of trust by public servants.
Abbas filed the complaint against Zulfiqarulla and an FIR was registered on July 6. According to the complaint, the state government had acquired a piece of land belonging to the Auqaf Board and had paid Rs 2.29 crore. An amount of Rs 1.7 crore was also received from the Muzrai department, totalling Rs 4 crore, which was transferred to the Auqaf Board bank account in November 2016. The FIR alleges that Zulfiqarulla transferred these funds to other accounts over several years, causing a significant loss to the board.
The Board decided to issue a notice to Zulfiqarulla on March 31, 2022, to explain the matter. However, he allegedly did not cooperate. The issue was then reported to the Secretary of the Minorities Welfare, Haj, and Auqaf Department, who permitted the Board to register a criminal case against Zulfiqarulla.
The matter was discussed at a board meeting, and a report was sent to the government seeking permission to take legal action against the accused. Following the government's recent approval, the complaint was filed with the jurisdictional police station.