In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has instructed the Allahabad High Court to expedite the hearing of a plea by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, led by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. This plea challenges the Uttar Pradesh Government’s decision to reclaim land allocated to Jauhar University in Rampur.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, emphasized the urgency of the matter, directing that the plea be listed for “urgent admissions” before a bench headed by the Acting Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Trust, highlighted the significant impact of the case on the future of 600 girls currently enrolled at the University. The Supreme Court bench noted that the Allahabad High Court had previously reserved its judgment on the matter but later decided it required further hearing. Consequently, the case was released from its ‘part heard’ status due to a change in the composition of the bench, necessitating a fresh hearing by a new bench.
The Supreme Court remarked,
“In order to facilitate the petitioner in seeking access to judicial remedies, we direct that the writ petition, namely, Writ-C No 7022 of 2023, be shown in the list of urgent admissions and be listed before the Bench presided over by the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.”
Furthermore, the Supreme Court granted the petitioner the liberty to approach the Acting Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court for interim relief, which should be considered expeditiously on its own merits.
Recalling a related incident from 2022, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order halting the takeover of land allotted to Jauhar University. This order was passed by a bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravikumar in response to a Special Leave Petition filed by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, challenging the Allahabad High Court’s refusal to intervene in the decision by the Additional District Magistrate, Rampur, to reclaim nearly 400 acres of land allocated to the University.
The case, titled “Executive Committee, Maulana Mohamad Ali Jauhar Trust v State Of Uttar Pradesh And Ors. Diary No. 45480-2023,” continues to garner attention due to its implications for educational institutions and land allocation policies in Uttar Pradesh.
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