The Rampur Development Authority in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday ordered the demolition of 38 of the 40 buildings at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, founded by jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, PTI reported.

All the buildings in the university campus except the medical college and the academic block were constructed “without approval”, PTI quoted unidentified officials as having alleged.

Khan had served as the president of the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, which operates the university. However, the SP leader and his family resigned from the trust in January.

The demolition order was issued under the 1973 Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, the news agency quoted officials as saying.

The university has been given 15 days to remove the allegedly unauthorised structures, failing which the administration will carry out the demolition, The Indian Express reported.

The action was initiated based on a report by the regional junior engineer alleging unauthorised structures on the campus, PTI quoted Rampur District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi as saying.

He said that the university management had been served a notice and given an opportunity to present its case.

The university submitted its reply on July 8, while a personal hearing was conducted on July 15.

During the hearing, the university said that the Singankhera village, where the campus is located, was not in the Rampur Development Authority’s jurisdiction before September 27, 2024, the news agency reported. Therefore, the university argued, no approval was required for its building plans from the authorities.

The institution further contended that the buildings had been constructed much earlier and could not be declared unauthorised under the current rules.

However, the development authority rejected the arguments, saying that buildings in areas that are subsequently brought under its jurisdiction can be considered as lawful only if they had secured the approval from the authorities when they were constructed, The Indian Express reported.

The order further alleged that the university management was aware of the need for prior approval, as it had obtained permission from the zila panchayat for two buildings but had constructed the other structures without sanction, PTI reported.

The university, established in 2006, was a prominent project for Khan. However, since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, the university has been involved in legal battles pertaining to land encroachment and alleged lease violations.

Khan is in the Rampur jail. More than 81 cases have been registered against Khan after the BJP came to power in the state, The Indian Express reported citing police records.

SP spokesperson Juhie Singh told The Indian Express that the university is an important educational institute where a large number of students pursue their studies at affordable fees, with many also receiving fee reimbursement.

She alleged that ordering the demolition of such a large educational institute reflected a “targeted campaign” against Khan and the institution established by him.

Edited by Nachiket Deuskar.