Khuzaima Qutbuddin, who claims to be the 53rd Dai Al-Mutlaq and head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, today told the Bombay High Court that none of his siblings is openly supporting his claim and demand that he should be declared as the Syedna.
Justice Gautam Patel today began hearing arguments over the succession row with recording evidence of Qutbuddin.
Qutbuddin (74), who is the incumbent Syedna’s uncle, had filed a suit in the high court in April last year soon after the death of his half brother Mohammed Burhanuddin who was the 52nd Syedna. Burhanuddin die on January 17 last year at the age of 102.
Qutbuddin, in his suit, had sought the high court to declare him as Syedna instead of Burhanuddin’s second son Mufaddal Saifuddin. Qutbuddin sought for Mufaddal to be restrained from holding himself or doing any acts, deeds or things as the 53rd Dai al-Mutlaq of the community. In his suit, Qutbuddin termed Mufaddal’s succession as false.
“I have 12 brothers and eight sisters. Openly none of them supports my claim in this suit. I have received indications that they do support me but not openly,” Qutbuddin told the court.
Qutbuddin was asked several questions pertaining to practices of the Bohra community and degrees conferred on the Syedna.
The court will continue recording his evidence tomorrow.
Qutbuddin’s family had earlier claimed that they had tried repeatedly to resolve the issue internally. “We even invited him (Mufaddal) for a debate and establish the rightful claim of nass (succession). But all the attempts have been ignored and rebuffed by Shehzada Mufaddal Saifuddin,” the family had said earlier in a press note.
Qutbuddin claimed that the late Syedna had chosen him his Mazoon (deputy) and secretly appointed him as his successor 50 years ago.
