3 min readVadodaraNov 7, 2026 08:17 PM ISTThe petitioners have questioned whether the Waqf Board adequately examined the scope and duration of their powers. (Photo generated using AI)A proposed change to the management of Vadodara Shaher Masjid Sabha – that petitioners allege would take the institution’s administration out of the hands of the wider Muslim community and place it under the control of a select group of trustees – has come under scrutiny of the Gujarat High Court (HC).Justice Devan M Desai of the HC on Friday issued notice to the parties concerned on a petition challenging the Gujarat State Waqf Board’s approval of a new management scheme for the Sabha. The matter will next be heard on January 5.The Special Civil Application filed by Sagirahmed Ansari and Kadri Yadullah Ahesanulla, through advocate Hashim Qureshi, challenges the Waqf Board’s order dated September 21, and the consequential resolution approving changes to the institution’s governing arrangement.At the centre of the dispute is the replacement of a scheme dating back to 1963, which provided for trustees to be elected by the Sabha’s general body, with a system that, according to the petition, allows existing trustees to appoint new members internally.The Sabha was established in 1963 by residents of Vadodara to manage eight mosques and their associated properties. The original scheme, approved by the Charity Commissioner, provided for a minimum of seven and a maximum of 15 trustees, elected by the general body for three-year terms.The petitioners have argued that the new scheme fundamentally alters this arrangement. It provides for 21 trustees with a tenure of 10 years and, according to the petition, allows new trustees to be appointed by a majority of the existing trustees. The petition states that the new arrangement would “remove the General Body structure” and concentrate the power to appoint trustees in the hands of a limited group of existing trustees. It further argues that this could create a “closed, self-perpetuating administrative structure”.The petitioners have also urged that “every Muslim resident of Vadodara should have the opportunity to become a member of the Masjid Sabha in accordance with its rules” and participate in its administration through an open and democratic general body. The petition maintains that “the participation, representation and accountability of the wider community must be protected”.Story continues below this adThe petition also questions the authority of two executive administrators, Ranjit Kumar Jaswantsinh Rathod and Mohammad Hussain Nabimiya Malik, who were appointed in connection with the Sabha’s management. It alleges that officials entrusted with the limited responsibility of managing the institution and submitting reports subsequently initiated the process of introducing a new scheme. The petitioners have questioned whether they had the legal authority to do so and whether the Waqf Board adequately examined the scope and duration of their powers.The petitioners allege that objections to the proposed scheme were not properly considered and raise concerns over the absence of adequate safeguards governing trustee eligibility, financial accountability, removal of trustees and the possibility of family or group dominance.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdAditi Raja is an Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, wi... Read More Tags:VadodaraWaqf BoardAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement