New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued a notice a plea filed by an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia, challenging the decision to grant a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the sale of land, over which the university holds pre-emptive rights, to a third party named Zakia Zaheer.
Justice Subramonium Prasad has sought response from the university, the Union government, the University Grants Commission (UGC), Zaheer, and three professors who are nominees of the President, who serves as the university's Visitor.
The petitioner, Harisul Haq, currently employed as a Physical Education Teacher at Jamia Middle School and the outgoing Secretary of the Jamia School Teachers Association, alleges that the university is attempting to issue an NOC for the sale of land without following due legal processes.
He claims that this action is being taken in an arbitrary and illegal manner, benefiting certain third parties.
According to the plea, the university convened a meeting on August 4 to consider the issuance of the NOC. However, the three nominees of the visitor dissented, asserting that the action was illegal.
Furthermore, Haq argues that when the draft minutes of the meeting were circulated, the nominees communicated with the university, pointing out various errors and illegalities in the process.
Despite their dissent, the university proceeded with the issuance of the NOC, claiming that it was approved in the meeting's minutes, even though the minutes had not been signed.
The plea also highlights that Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni, UAE, had offered to fund the purchase of the land and donate it back to the university.
However, the university has not responded to this offer or addressed the objections raised by the visitor's nominees.
The plea alleges that the university is progressing with the issuance of the NOC in a manner that contradicts the law and without addressing the objections raised by the visitor's nominees or considering the offer made by the alumni association.
The petition also challenges the minutes of the meeting and calls for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the surrender of the university's rights over the land in question.
Justice Prasad noted that the visitor's nominees, who are considered neutral parties, had protested against the grant of the NOC to Zaheer, arguing that it was against the university's interests.
The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on November 23.
—IANS
