Efforts are now being made to free the Kasari-Masari graveyard, said to be the 'family graveyard' of slain gangster Atiq Ahmad, from the control of a close relative.

The graveyard's Mutawalli (caretaker) had made several complaints to authorities at the time but to no avail.

Now, after Atiq's death and with his gang on the run, the graveyard committee authorities hope that the land will be freed from illegal occupation of his relative.

Sources said that nearly half the graveyard land was grabbed on which Atiq's relatives are running a construction material business and is even using it as a garage and a shed for labourers.

An investigation is now underway to identify the Waqf properties illegally occupied by Atiq and his associates, said a senior district administrative official.

The graveyard, a portion of which Atiq's relative has illegally grabbed, is registered as Chhoti Karbala Qabristan (property number I-1657) under the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Board of Waqf, said the graveyard's present Mutawalli Amir Alvi.

He said: "The committee made its last complaint about the grabbing of graveyard land in 2021 to the Chief Minister and Prayagraj administrative officials. However, no action was taken in this regard. Complaints were also made to local police officials. We also spoke to Atiq's kin and requested him to vacate the land but he refused."

However, a senior police official said that no complaint had been received over the issue in the recent past.

"If we get a complaint, we will probe the issue and do the needful," he added.

Locals said that the graveyard was not encroached upon all at once, but the man first grabbed a small portion of it around 12 years back. He gradually started encroaching upon larger portions of it.

He used to threaten locals and graveyard committee authorities in the name of Atiq Ahmed when they raised objections. [IANS/NS]