On Thursday, 16th July, the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) ordered the demolition of 38 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, saying they were built without the required approvals. The university management has been given 15 days to remove the structures. If it fails to do so, the RDA will carry out the demolition and recover the expenses from the university run by a trust founded by jailed SP leader Azam Khan.
The action has been taken under Section 27(1) of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, after an inquiry, review of records and a hearing with the university authorities.
Only two buildings had approval
According to the RDA, only the university’s medical college and academic block had valid construction permission. The remaining 38 buildings were found to have been built without sanctioned building plans.
Officials said records received from the Rampur Zila Panchayat showed that permission had been granted only for these two buildings. The authority also pointed out that this itself showed the university management knew approval was necessary before construction.
The case began after a report by the regional Junior Engineer. Based on the report, the RDA issued a notice asking the university to explain the legality of the buildings.
The university submitted its written reply on 8th July, followed by a personal hearing on 15th July, where officials and legal representatives from both sides were present.
During the hearing, the university argued that its campus at Singankheda village was not brought under the Rampur Development Authority until 27th September 2024. It said there was no requirement to seek approval from the RDA when the buildings were constructed years earlier, and therefore they should not be treated as illegal under later rules.
The RDA rejected this argument, saying construction approval was required from the competent authority under the rules that existed at the time, regardless of when the area came under its jurisdiction.
The demolition order also stated that the university had wrongly interpreted provisions related to the Master Plan, Zonal Plan and other sections of the Act to justify the buildings. It added that action could also be taken under Section 59 of the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act.
The university faces several legal issues
Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, spread across hundreds of acres, has faculties of medicine, engineering, law, agriculture, education and humanities, along with a hospital, library, hostels and residential facilities. The university is run by the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, founded by senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan.
Since 2019, Azam Khan, his wife Dr Tazeen Fatima, son Abdullah Azam Khan and members of the trust have been facing several criminal cases related to land acquisition, government property, forgery and public land. The state government has also cancelled leases of some land linked to the university. The Allahabad High Court upheld that decision, while the Supreme Court later refused to interfere.
District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi said the demolition would go ahead if the university failed to comply with the order within the given time.
During a recent inspection, officials also installed a signboard declaring the nearly 3.30-km road passing through the campus as a public road after claims that it had come under the university’s control. The latest action also comes weeks after the Income Tax Department issued a notice to the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust over financial irregularities.
While the state government says the action is purely based on law and applies equally to everyone, the Samajwadi Party claims Azam Khan has been unfairly targeted through multiple legal and administrative actions. The university can still challenge the demolition order in court, and any demolition will depend on the outcome of the legal process.
