Students of Aligarh Muslim University filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at the Allahabad High Court challenging land-grabbing activities by the Aligarh Municipal Corporation.
On Wednesday, municipal corporation officials claimed ownership of the land currently used by the university’s Riding Club by placing a signboard.
The petitioners condemned this as an “illegal, arbitrary, and perverse act” by the Aligarh Municipal Commissioner, who, along with a few officials, “illegally encroached/trespassed upon the university’s land” and attempted to seize it “without any legal procedure or authority.”
They alleged that the Municipal Commissioner has “acted upon their whims and fancies,” adding that, in the absence of any judicial order, civil court decree, competent authority directive, or government order, the respondents have not only acted arbitrarily but have also challenged “the very essence of the law of the land,” which mandates that even if someone claims possession or adverse possession of a property, due legal process must still be followed.
Though Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has stated that the university is taking appropriate legal and administrative measures to safeguard its legitimate rights, it has also declared that this is the first Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the High Court.
Law student Kaif Hasan, along with 23 other students of Aligarh Muslim University enrolled in various undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programs, has collectively approached this Hon’ble Court, stating that the action was “illegal” and “arbitrary.”
They alleged that they were “constrained to approach this Hon’ble Court” because Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and the concerned university officials “have remained silent, becoming mute spectators,” compelling the petitioners to act out of concern for their alma mater and “the collective interest of over and about 40,000 students.”
“The said property, upon which admittedly the university is having a continuous, peaceful, and unhindered possession since the past 80–90 years, is saved by due legal authority and legal capacity,” claimed the petition filed through advocates Ali Bin Saif and Zeeshan Khan.
The petition seeks the court to issue an order directing the Aligarh Municipal Commissioner not to interfere with the peaceful possession of the AMU Riding Club land, and to instruct the Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police to remove the board placed on the land.
Kaif Hasan, a second-year LLM student from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), one of the petitioners, told Maktoob, “We, the students of AMU, are deeply anguished by the illegal land grab by the Municipality. This act has hurt our sentiments and violated the sanctity of our alma mater. It is a clear case of encroachment, and we have approached the Hon’ble High Court seeking justice on strong legal grounds.”
He added, “As students, we feel a moral obligation to resist such unlawful actions,” and urged the AMU administration to stand with them for a unified and resolute legal fight.
The respondents in this matter are the State of U.P. through the Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of U.P. at Lucknow; the Municipal Commissioner, Nagar Nigam, District Aligarh; the District Magistrate, District Aligarh; the Senior Superintendent of Police, Aligarh; Aligarh Muslim University through its Vice-Chancellor, Aligarh; the Registrar of Aligarh Muslim University; and the Commissioner, District Aligarh.
Municipal Corporation officials claimed ownership of the land by putting up a signboard that read, “This property belongs to Aligarh Municipal Corporation. By order of the Municipal Commissioner, Aligarh Municipal Corporation.”
The officials alleged that AMU unlawfully occupies large portions of government land.
Meanwhile, the university administration refuted these claims, stating that the disputed land is “a legally owned property of the university.”
 at the Allahabad High Court challenging land-grabbing activities by the Aligarh Municipal Corporation.){kind=link}