Supreme Court dismisses Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust plea against lease termination by UP govt

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust's plea challenging the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to terminate its lease over the land of Jauhar University in Rampur.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, rejected the Trust's plea with a straightforward message: "We will not entertain the petition."
They added, "Let the UP government take a decision on accommodating the 300 students in other educational institutes."
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Trust, raised concerns about the future of the students, but the court didn't budge.
The Trust had challenged the Allahabad High Court ruling, which had sided with the Uttar Pradesh government's decision. The High Court had noted that key procedures, policies, and financial aspects had been completely ignored when the lease was granted, calling it an abuse of power by the Cabinet Minister.
Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar Trust, headed by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, received the land for the university in 2005. But in January 2023, after a decision by the Yogi government, the lease of Rs 100 per annum was cancelled, and the institute's land and building (about 13,000 square metres) were taken back by the government.
Khan had originally secured this land for a research institute during the Samajwadi Party's reign, with a lease of 33 years and an option to extend it twice.
However, after a complaint, an SIT team was formed to investigate. Based on the SIT's recommendation and a report from the Rampur DM, the government cancelled the lease.