Wakf arrest raises too many queries

The Opposition has demanded a CBI inquiry. Trinamool Congress’ Pankaj Banerjee, also Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said: ‘‘Huda has been made a scapegoat. Top CPI(M) leaders are involved.’’

Huda’s saga began in 1956 when he left his native Siwan in Bihar for Kolkata. He started off as a carpenter and went on to amass wealth that includes a house on Collins Street and two shops at Chandni Chowk. The Opposition allege Huda managed it with his closeness to CPI(M) bosses.

Huda’s involvement with the state Wakf board began in 1981 when he became a member in the ‘‘social worker category’’. For 15 years, he remained a member of the board that owns 8,044 estates across the state. As a board member, he reportedly terrorised his colleagues.

Board CEO Abdul Matin said: ‘‘I have come to know people here were scared of him. He used to demand to see files. He was a powerful man, quite uncharacteristic for a member of an 11-strong Board.’’

Irregularities in board affairs first came to light in 1996. The state asked then judicial secretary P.K. Sengupta to prepare a report. The report’s presentation in the Assembly provoked a furore and the Opposition demanded a judicial probe.

In 1997, the state appointed a one-man commission of Justice Gitesh Ranjan Bhattacharya. He submitted a report on December 31, 2001. The state Minority Department then filed an FIR against Huda. Banerjee, however, is unhappy. ‘‘They sat over the report for six months. Now they have asked police to act against a petty thief. It’s an eyewash to shield the big guys.’’

Minority Development Minister Mohammed Salim said: ‘‘We took several measures to reform Wakf board over last six months. Now somebody has been arrested, the Opposition is protesting.’’