Hyderabad dargah’s former custodian found dead

Hyderabad: Former custodian of the Dargah Yousufain here, Faisal Ali Shah, allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday.

Shah was found hanging in his house adjoining Dargah Yousufain at Nampally, police said.

An employee of the shrine found him hanging from a ceiling fan and informed his wife and mother who live at another place.

They lodged a complaint with Habeebnagar police station. A police officer said Shah’s wife, in her complaint, said he had health issues and financial problems.

Police shifted the body to the Osmania General Hospital for autopsy, registered a case and took up investigations.

A controversy was going on between the Telangana State Wakf Board and Shah over the custody of the Dargah Yousufain for the last few years.

Shah was removed as ‘mutawalli’ (custodian) of the dargah in 2014 by the Wakf Board for not paying seven per cent funds to the Wakf Board, wrongdoings and selling the space for graves in the graveyard under the management of the shrine.

Shah had denied the charges and challenged the Wakf Board’s action in the court. He had argued that he is hereditary ‘sajjadanasheen’ or caretaker of the dargah and that his family had been serving it for the last 300 years.

Shah was also barred from entering the shrine. On many instances, the police had to intervene to prevent untoward situations.

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