Moradabad (UP), Oct 22 The Jauhar Trust on Thursday submitted building maps of 17 structures and some other documents before the divisional commissioner’s court, as directed by it, in connection with the demolition order case related to the Jauhar University in Rampur founded by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.
The dispute stems from a July 15 order by the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) directing the university administration to demolish 38 of its 40 buildings, alleging they had been constructed without approved building plans under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973.
During the hearing before Divisional Commissioner Sangeeta Singh, the trust’s counsel, Junaid Ejaz, sought a month to submit the remaining documents. The request was accepted, and the next hearing was scheduled for November 23, 2026.
Ejaz told the court that despite three requests, the Rampur district magistrate had not provided the approved building maps, rules and other documents deposited in his office.
He submitted that the district panchayat’s rules came into force on January 7, 2012, by which time 27 buildings of the university had already been constructed. The approved maps of these buildings had been submitted to the district magistrate’s office in connection with various inquiries, he said.
According to the counsel, the divisional commissioner had, on September 25, 2026, directed the Rampur district magistrate to produce all the maps and related documents before the court.
Ejaz said he had subsequently sent requests to the district magistrate through speed post on October 3, 14 and 16, seeking the documents, but they had not been submitted.
He alleged that the district magistrate, who is also the vice-chairperson of the RDA, had shown continued indifference in the matter.
The counsel requested the divisional commissioner to issue another communication to the district magistrate, but the request was declined.
The trust then submitted maps of 17 buildings along with some other documents and sought a month to produce the remaining records, which the court allowed.
The university had earlier argued that Singankhera village, where the campus is located, was not a part of the RDA’s jurisdiction before September 27, 2024, and, therefore, approval of the building plan from the RDA was not required.
It also contended that the buildings had been constructed much earlier and could not be declared illegal under the present rules.
However, the RDA rejected these arguments, saying that approval from the competent authority was mandatory at the time of construction irrespective of whether the area was later brought under the development authority’s jurisdiction.
According to the order, records obtained from the Rampur Zila Panchayat showed that only the medical college building and the academic block had approved building plans, while no valid approval was available for the remaining 38 buildings.
Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, Rampur was established in the year 2006 by an Act of the Uttar Pradesh legislature. The institution was a prominent project of former state minister Azam Khan, but it has since faced significant legal battles over land encroachment and alleged lease violations, with the Uttar Pradesh government reclaiming large portions of the property.
In early 2026, Khan and his family formally stepped aside from the university’s governing trust.
(PTI News)
