Graves sold for Rs 8 lakh? Lucknow cleric's big charge against Shia leader
A fresh controversy has erupted within Lucknow's Shia clergy after a cleric accused influential Shia leader Maulana Kalbe Jawwad of selling burial plots for up
A fresh controversy has erupted within Lucknow's Shia clergy after a cleric accused influential Shia leader Maulana Kalbe Jawwad of selling burial plots for up to Rs 8 lakh at the historic Ghufran Maab Imambara graveyard. In a video circulated on social media, Maulana Saif Abbas, president of the Shia Markazi Chand Committee, alleged that families are charged Rs 8 lakh for a grave at the Waqf-run Ghufran Maab Imambara, one of Lucknow's largest and most prominent Shia burial grounds. Kalbe Jawwad serves as the mutawalli (custodian) of the Imambara. Read Full Story Saif Abbas claimed that around 10 graves are sold every month, alleging that the practice generates nearly Rs 9.6 crore annually.
He did not provide documentary evidence to support the allegations. The claims have reignited a long-running debate within sections of Lucknow's Shia community over alleged payments for burial space in the city’s major Imambaras. The issue had previously been raised by UP's e minority welfare minister Mohsin Raza, who had claimed in a television interview that graves at prominent burial grounds were being sold for around Rs 5 lakh. Kalbe Jawwad has not publicly responded to Saif Abbas's latest allegations. The accusations come amid an apparent rift between the two prominent clerics. The fallout is widely believed to have intensified after a dispute over Waqf land with Lucknow's iconic Tunday Kababi.
Kalbe Jawwad had alleged that the restaurant's historic Chowk outlet near Akbari Gate had illegally encroached on the courtyard of the protected Masjid Tehsin Ali Khan. The restaurant's management and the mosque's caretaker denied the allegations, saying the outlet has operated from the same site since 1905 and that only routine cleaning and permitted repairs were carried out. The latest allegations are likely to deepen the public feud between the two influential Shia clerics. Maulana Saif Abbas is known for his outspoken views on religious, social and political issues. He rose to prominence during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in 2019-20, when he was among the Muslim leaders named in police cases.
He was also featured on controversial Uttar Pradesh government hoardings displaying photographs of accused protesters. The Shia cleric is no stranger to controversy. In 2013, he faced backlash for remarks discouraging women from posting photographs on social media sites like Facebook. He has also repeatedly clashed with fellow Shia leaders over the management of Waqf properties and religious institutions. Ends
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