The Madhya Pradesh High Court has imposed a 15-day interim stay on the proposed demolition of the ancestral home of Jawad Siddiqui, chairman of Al Falah University, located in Mukeri Mohalla, Mhow, as reported by Bar & Bench on Friday.
Justice Pranay Verma expressed concern regarding the demolition proceedings, which were based on notices issued as far back as 1996–97. He noted the considerable delay necessitates due process, stating, “If action was to be taken after nearly 30 years, the petitioner should have been granted an opportunity of hearing.”
The court’s stay prohibits the Mhow Cantonment Board from carrying out any demolition or structural measures until the case is revisited.
The Cantonment Board had issued a final demolition notice citing “illegal construction” at the family residence. The notice required occupants and legal heirs to remove the alleged unauthorized structure within three days, warning that failure to comply would result in the demolition at their expense.
The notice, affixed to the property, alleged that the house, constructed in the 1990s, has had unauthorized additions for many years. Official records indicate that the dispute surrounding the property dates back nearly thirty years, with the Cantonment Board having previously served multiple notices under the Cantonments Act in the late 1990s.
Known locally as Maulana’s Building, the four-story structure belongs to the late Mohammad Hammad Siddiqui, Jawad Siddiqui’s father, and is notable for its numerous windows and large basement. It remains a key landmark in Mhow’s Kayastha neighborhood.
The stay was granted during a hearing for a petition filed by Abdul Majid, who resides in the building with his family. Majid contends that the demolition notice lacks specificity regarding which parts of the structure are classified as unauthorized and argues that the board has relied on outdated documents rather than conducting a current evaluation, leaving the grounds for demolition ambiguous.
Advocate Ajay Bagadiya, representing Majid, argued that the Cantonment Board’s three-day ultimatum violated Supreme Court guidelines established in 2025, which require at least a 15-day notice for responses, while noting that previous notices from nearly three decades ago have not led to further action.
Ownership questions were also raised in court, with claims that the property, originally owned by Mohammad Hammad Siddiqui, was later transferred to Jawad and subsequently gifted to Abdul Majid, who is asserting lawful ownership.
The recent demolition notice comes amid increased scrutiny of the Siddiqui family, following a renewed multi-state fraud investigation connected to two doctors from Al Falah Medical College in Faridabad, who are suspected of involvement in a terror module linked to a blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10.
Earlier in the week, Hamud Ahmed Siddiqui, Jawad’s younger brother, was arrested in Hyderabad after evading authorities for nearly twenty-five years. He faces multiple charges of investment fraud, allegedly defrauding retired Army and Military Engineer Services personnel through bogus investment schemes dating back to 2000.
In parallel developments, the Enforcement Directorate has conducted searches at various locations across Delhi and Faridabad, including sites associated with Al-Falah University, which has faced cyberattacks and media scrutiny following the arrest of the two doctors involved in the investigation.
Police reports indicate that Jawad Siddiqui, who began his career in Mhow during the 1990s, once operated a company called Al-Falah Investment Company. The family reportedly moved to Delhi in 2001 after allegations of financial irregularities surfaced. Investigators assert that after leaving Madhya Pradesh, Jawad established the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, which later founded Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.
Tags: MP High Court stays demolition of Al Falah university chairman’s ancestral home Extract 5 SEO-friendly keywords as tags. Output only keywords, comma separated.
Hashtags: #High #Court #stays #demolition #Falah #university #chairmans #ancestral #home
