Allahabad HC grants interim relief to Shri Ram Swaroop University in encroachment case

Lucknow, Sep 10 (PTI) The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday granted interim relief to Shri Ram Swaroop University, staying the arrest of its officials and ordering a temporary halt to demolition action against alleged encroachments.

The relief follows two separate legal challenges by the university. In the first case, a division bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Justice Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi ordered an interim stay on the arrest of university officials. An FIR had been lodged against the university on September 3 at Barabanki Kotwali on charges of fraud and forgery.

In a separate matter, a single bench of Justice Alok Mathur halted a demolition drive. The university had challenged an August 25 order by the tehsil to remove alleged encroachments on the gram sabha land.

While an appeal is pending before the district magistrate (DM), the court ordered that no demolition action should be taken until the DM decides on the university's interim application.

The court has directed all parties to file their replies by September 25 and has ordered the DM to decide within 10 days thereafter.

This comes after the recent dispute involving Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members at Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University in Barabanki.

On September 1, police confronted and used force against the ABVP members protesting alleged irregularities in a law course. The students accused the university of jeopardising their future by enrolling them in a programme that lacked recognition from the Bar Council of India.

In the aftermath, four police personnel were suspended and the FIRs were lodged against the university. PTI COR CDN KSS KSS