Syed Ahmed Bukhari

Syed Ahmed Bukhari (Urdu: سید احمد بخاری‎—Sayyid Ẹḥmad Buxārī) is the ^[1] Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid, Delhi.

Ancestry and appointment

As per claims, his ancestry can be directly traced to the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. On the request of Mughal emperor Shahjahan, the Shah of Bukhara (Uzbekistan) sent Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari, (who was descendant of Prophet Muhammad from both of his parents) from Bukhara in Samarkand to accept the post of the Shahi Imam for the Delhi's grand mosque. On Saturday, 14 October 2000 AD (15th Rajab 1421 AH), through an investiture ceremony he was appointed the successor of Maulana Syed Abdulla Bukhari.^[2][3]

Association with politics

His son-in-law Umar Ali Khan was a MLC of SP who resigned on the directive of Bukhari after he accused Mulayam Singh Yadav that "the SP government did nothing for Muslims".^[4]

Controversy

A criminal case was lodged against him along with Habib-ur-Rehman and Nafisa in 2001 after an incident in September 3, 2001 when a mob, led by Bukhari assaulted on duty police and civic agencies officials trying to remove encroachment from near CGO Complex in Lodhi Colony.^[5] Non-Baialable Warrants against Bukhari for this case have been issued over and over by the Delhi court and Delhi Police has been unsuccessful to arrest him citing communal tension for the past 10 years. The Magistrate observed that legal provisions entailed initiating the proceedings of declaring Bukhari a proclaimed offender, but doing so would "undermine the authority of law.""In my considered opinion, declaring accused Ahmed Bukhari a proclaimed offender would be a mockery of law and it would provide an easy escape route to the accused. It is surprising and shocking as well to see the police force not able to execute the NBW issued against Bukhari. Such inaction by police cannot be tolerated," he said in his order in July 2012 ^[6]

References