The Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached 45 plots of land owned by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust in Rampur, a total of 34 acres, valued at Rs 426.46 crore, on Wednesday, 26 October 2024. The attachment comes after a probe into alleged money‑laundering and diversion of public funds to the university.
The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Custodian of Enemy Property has seized administrative control of the campus, citing that the land was originally owned by individuals who migrated to Pakistan. The transfer of ownership was allegedly made after the custodian cancelled a lease granted to the trust in 2015.
The ED’s investigation stems from more than two dozen FIRs filed by farmers and local residents who claim that their plots were illegally usurped for the university’s expansion. Charges now include criminal breach of trust, corruption, and the Prevention of Corruption Act against Azam Khan, the trust’s founder and honorary chancellor.
Earlier in 2016, the ED highlighted that government contracts worth Rs 186 crore were diverted to the trust, with contractors admitting that 30‑40 percent of the contract value was used to purchase construction material for the campus. The department also uncovered that a public pandal, funded at Rs 12.16 crore, was transferred to the university, violating state ownership terms.
The Uttar Pradesh Police registered a separate case against the trust and Azam Khan on 13 October, following the ED’s findings. Chargesheets have already been filed in 28 FIRs, and Azam Khan remains in judicial custody as investigations continue.
The ED will now file a detailed charge sheet with the court, while the MHA is expected to conduct a formal audit of the seized assets before handing them over to the state for re‑allocation. The next hearing is scheduled for 15 November 2024.