Nearly 80 Khoja families (Ismaili Muslims of the Aga Khan sect), have accused local priests of allegedly ousting them out of the decade old Jamatkhana at Fazilpura and forcing them to offer prayers at another unauthorised Jamatkhana at Padegaon in Aurangabad, Marathwada.
Some of the members of the Aga Khan sect have accused the local priests Aziz Abullah Surani alias 'Mukhi' , Samir Ramzanali Moti alias 'Kamadia' and Ramzan Sher Mohammad Charaniya (the previous 'Mukhi') of attempting to oust them from the 40-year-old mosque of the Agha Khan sect with a view to usurp the land of the mosque to Aziz Abdullah Surani, who is a developer and also the co-producer of the recent Bollywood film 'Chalk-N-Duster' starring Juhi Chawla and Shabana Azmi.
When contacted Aziz Abullah Surani, said that he would give his elaborate version in the matter but never reverted. Similarly Ms Lukhi a spokesperson of the New Delhi based Aga Khan Foundation delayed the response to the matter without responding to phone calls made or emails sent.
Speaking to the Afternoon D&C;, one of the members Sher Ali Mardani said that in December 2015, these priests had allegedly locked up the Fazalpura Jamatkhana and forced them to offer prayers at an unauthorized under-construction structure located 12 km away, adjoining the forest area at Padegaon. This structure is owned by the paternal uncle of Aziz Abdullah Surani. Thus the priests compelled hundreds of Khoja men, women and children to travel twice a day to the distant wilderness in the dark of night and pre-dawn for their daily prayers.
When Mohammaali Ramani, Barkat Kanani, Suleman Jessani and others brought this to the notice of Aurangabad police commissioner Amit Kumar in September this year, the Fazalpura Jamatkhana was re-opened and it was suggested that those who reside near it should offer prayers there and those who reside near Padegaon can offer prayers there. Even today the matter remains inconclusive since no priests have been appointed at Padegaon. Besides the Jamatkhana has not been consecrated.
The complainants allege that the Surani, Moti and Charaniya families own about eight acres of land at Padegaon, where they have began constructing dwelling houses. If the Fazilpura Jamatkhana is closed down then the people would automatically migrate to Padegaon and would automatically buy the flats. Besides, this way they allege, the priests can also sell the land at Fazalpura which is very close to the city.