In a major setback for former minister and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, the Yogi government has issued an order to take back 173 acres of land of Jauhar Trust, headed by the former minister and his family.
Additional District Government Counsel (Revenue) Ajay Tiwari said the order to take back the land was passed by ADM (Administration) Jagdamba Prasad Gupta after the court found that the Jauhar Trust did not meet the terms set by the state government during the sale of the land in 2005.
“When a person or organization has to buy more than 12.5 acres of land, then permission has to be sought from the state government. The state government had set some conditions at the time of the sale of this particular land. One of the conditions set by the state government was that the land would be used for charitable work. The court found that it was not being done. Other conditions included that no purchase will be done from people who belong to SC and ST categories and that gram samaj land will not be taken over. The UP Revenue Act rules were also being violated by the Trust. The land will now be registered in the name of the government in revenue records,” Tiwari said.
The said land comes under the category of gram sabha land.
“He (Azam Khan) had also taken over some land which was supposed to be a public road, and there is also some Enemy Property, which has been acquired for the university by the Trust,” Tiwari said, adding: “During a probe by Rampur district administration, it was found that the Trust was not following the conditions laid down in 2005. He was asked by the ADM court to present his side which he did not do,” said Tiwari.
The Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, run by the Jauhar Trust, is spread on 300 acres of land in Rampur district. The Trust is headed by Azam, who has been in jail along with his son Abdullah since February last year. His wife, Tanzeen Fatima, was granted bail in December. The three had surrendered in court in a forgery case on February 26.
“The court has ordered that the land be registered in the name of the government in the coming days,” said Tiwari.
Last January, a Prayagraj revenue board court had also directed the government to take over approximately 100 bighas of land in Rampur allegedly purchased from 12 Dalit farmers under coercion.
