FAZLUL RABBI PRADHAN vs STATE OF WEST BENGAL

The Supreme Court held that the appellants, as mutawallis of wakfs, were not entitled to protection under Section 6(1)(i) of the West Bengal Estates Acquisition Act, 1953, as the purposes of the wakfs included secular and family endowment elements, which do not qualify as exclusively charitable or religious. The Court emphasized that the Act's provisions apply irrespective of other laws or customs, and the definition of 'charitable purpose' does not extend to private gifts or family provisions. Consequently, the appeals were dismissed, affirming the lower courts' decisions.