File image of Maulana Ali Jauhar University. News18
New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to hear on Thursday a plea of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan against the alleged takeover and other unjustified actions of the Uttar Pradesh government against the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University at Rampur in the state.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justices S Ravindra Bhat and JB Pardiwala on Wednesday took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khan, that the state has been taking several actions against the private university.
“Subject to clearing of all defects and objections, list the matter before an appropriate bench tomorrow (Thursday)”, the CJI said.
Sibal said the leader has been facing several criminal and other cases lodged by the state government and other authorities and now the university has been taken over.
“A wall of the university has also been demolished”, he said.
The Uttar Pradesh government on 10 September 2021 reclaimed around 170 acres of Maulana Ali Jauhar University’s land, granted by the Samajwadi government in 2005. The Supreme Court on 19 April 2002 stayed the UP government’s decision though.
Muhammad Ali Jauhar University is a private university established by the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University Act 2005. Azam Khan is the varsity’s chancellor.
The then Samajwadi party-led state government granted permission to the University Trust to acquire 400 acres of land against the ceiling of 12.5 acres for the establishment of the University while imposing certain conditions, one of which was that the land would be used only for educational purposes.
According to law, if such a condition is violated, the permission granted by the state government stands withdrawn.
With inputs from PTI
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