Hyderabad: Nawab Mahbub Alam Khan (84) and his son Mujahid Alam Khan (42) have been detained in the murder of High Court advocate and Waqf activist Khaja Moizuddin.
But who are these Alam Khans?
The Alam Khan family
Nawab Shah Alam Khan and his wife, Begum Abida Khatoon, have seven children and their progeny who make up this family in Hyderabad. Abida Khatoon's father, Mohammed Abdus Sattar was the founder of Deccan Cigarette Factory which was managed by Shah Alam Khan. The management of the cigarette factory was taken over by Shah Alam Khan in 1946. The famous Golconda cigarettes were from this factory.
Nawab Mahbub Alam Khan is the secretary of the Anwar-ul-Uloom Educational Association. He is also a food connoisseur and archivist of royal Nizamic cuisine. He worked as an elite culinary consultant for the Taj Group of Hotels and a curation expert for government state dinners.
His son, Mujahid Alam Khan, is the joint Secretary, heading individual branches like the Anwar-ul-Uloom College of Pharmacy.
Mujahid Alam Khan is the vice-president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and in charge of the Medak Parliamentary constituency.
On May 24, 2026, Mujahid Alam Khan posted on his Facebook page, "Deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Advocate Khaja Mohiuddin. Our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. We have no connection whatsoever to this incident and strongly condemn the baseless allegations being spread. We respect the law, will fully cooperate with the investigation, and will pursue legal action against false and defamatory claims."
The Educational Trusts (The Disputed Holdings)
The family has long controlled the Anwar-ul-Uloom Educational Association (established originally in 1909 but aggressively expanded by Shah Alam Khan into a sprawling network from 1953 onward).
While structured as a minority educational trust rather than a personal "for-profit business," these societies control prime real estate across Hyderabad valued at hundreds of crores.
The Properties Under Dispute
The case, which is said to have led to the murder, involves the educational institutes that belong to the state Waqf Board. The properties and court cases under dispute are from the last 13 years.
Anwar-ul-Uloom College (Mallepally)
Located in the heart of Mallepally, this sprawling campus has been the subject of an "all-out war" between the Waqf Board and the Anwar-ul-Uloom Educational Association since 2001. Former special officer of Waqf Board Shaik Mohammed Iqbal (IPS) issued notices demanding financial audits and back-payments from the Anwar-ul-Uloom Educational Association, asserting that the college land was a notified endowment. This has led to a fierce legal battle between the Waqf Board and the Alam Khans.
The State Waqf Board has insisted these are registered endowments, while the Alam Khan management argues they are private/association-owned and that the Waqf Board lacks a valid original waqfnama (endowment deed).
Mumtaz Yar-ud-Daula College / Mumtaz College (Malakpet)
Situated on nearly 36 acres of highly valuable land at Asmangadh in Malakpet. The cases filed by Moizuddin argued that these stretches of land were illegally occupied and privatized with the help of local muttavalis of the Waqf Board.
Madrasa-e-Aiza / Issa College (Malakpet / Narayanguda area)
Another historic educational setup is tied to the ongoing friction regarding the private registration, commercial exploitation, or alienation of ancestral Waqf land holdings.
What is the Owaisi connection to Alam Khan family?
Hyderabad member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi's eldest daughter is married to Barkat Alam Khan. Barkat Alam Khan is the son of Nawab Ahmed Alam Khan, who is an industrialist and also known as a nature lover.
Nawab Shah Alam Khan was a horticulturist and also the president of the Hyderabad Rose Society. This love for nature has been carried forward by Nawab Ahmed Alam Khan. The family owns vast agricultural lands in the Vikarabad region and is largely into rose cultivation. Nawab Ahmed Alam Khan is also involved in the census of birds in Hyderabad.
Khaja Moizuddin's connections
The deceased Khaja Moizuddin's father-in-law, Ghulam Yazdani, was a member of the Anwar-ul-uloom society. According to sources in the Waqf Board, the bitter legal battle started from allegations that society guidelines and trust rules were altered by Alam Khan for their convenience.
Due to Moizuddin's proximity to these changes, he was aware of the internal structural shifts and challenged these in the court.
What is the Telangana Waqf Board's stand?
So far, the Waqf Board has not officially given any statement, but sources say that they want the police to carry out their investigations into the case.
With the death of a senior high court advocate, there is pressure on the Waqf Board to act.