Indore: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday granted a 15 day interim stay on the demolition of a residence in Mhow linked to Al Falah University chairman Jawad Siddiqui.
Justice Pranay Verma, while examining the demolition notice, observed that earlier notices had been issued in 1996 97. “If any action was to be taken against the petitioner after a period of almost 30 years from the date of issuance of previous notice, he ought to have been afforded an opportunity of hearing,” the court remarked.
The four storey structure, locally known as Maulana’s Building, is a prominent landmark in Mhow’s Kayastha neighbourhood. The stay order prevents the Mhow Cantonment Board from carrying out any demolition or structural action until the matter is heard again.
The petition was filed by Abdul Majid, who resides in the building with his family. He argued that the notice failed to specify which portion of the structure was unauthorised and relied on decades old documents rather than a current assessment. His counsel, Ajay Bagadiya, told the court that the board’s three day ultimatum violated Supreme Court guidelines issued in 2025, which mandate a minimum 15 day response period in demolition cases.
Questions over ownership have also surfaced. The property originally belonged to the late Mohammad Hammad Siddiqui, father of Jawad Siddiqui, before being transferred to Jawad and later gifted to Abdul Majid, who now claims lawful ownership.
The latest notice coincided with renewed scrutiny of the Siddiqui family amid a multi state fraud probe. At least two doctors employed by Al Falah Medical College in Faridabad have allegedly been linked to a terror module suspected in the 10 November blast near Delhi’s Red Fort.
Earlier this week, Jawad’s younger brother, Hamud Ahmed Siddiqui, was arrested in Hyderabad after evading authorities for nearly 25 years. He faces multiple investment fraud charges dating back to 2000, involving alleged schemes that defrauded retired Army and Military Engineer Services personnel.