The Allahabad High Court has refused to entertain a petition filed on behalf of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University challenging the demolition of its buildings, stating that the person who filed the plea was not an official representative of the institution.
The objection to the maintainability of the petition was raised by Additional Advocate General Anupam Trivedi, who argued that the plea was filed by Mohammad Yusuf, a businessman appointed as the university’s pairokar (pleader), rather than by an authorised university official.
The AAG told the court that an institution such as a university must be represented by its Registrar or another official, and that an outsider could not approach the court on its behalf.
Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery, in an order passed on Monday, accepted the objection and declined to hear the matter. The court observed that the proceedings initiated against the university and its trust should be allowed to reach their logical conclusion.
Meanwhile, the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner’s court granted interim relief to the university, staying the proposed demolition of 38 buildings on its campus until the final hearing of the case.
Divisional Commissioner Anjaneya Kumar Singh said the stay was granted after an application was submitted by the university’s counsel. The hearing scheduled for Tuesday was postponed due to a condolence meeting following the death of an advocate in Moradabad.
The Rampur Development Authority (RDA) had on July 15 ordered the university administration to demolish 38 of its 40 buildings within 15 days, alleging that they were constructed without approved building maps. The demolition order was issued under Section 27(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, with the deadline set to expire on July 30. Students and others have been protesting against the order.
(With inputs from PTI)