HC seeks detail of case that led to police raid on Azam Khan's Jauhar University

The Allahabad high Court on Thursday sought from the Uttar Pradesh government details of the case that led police to raid Rampur-based Mohammad Ail Jauhar University, founded by Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan.

A bench of justices S K Gupta and S S Shamshery directed state's law officer to apprise the court of the case, while hearing a petition against the police raids on the university.

The bench then slated the petition filed by the university registrar for further hearing on August 6.

The petition alleged that police entered the university premises without any search warrant and destroyed several things and also arrested some of its employees.

Appearing for the state, Additional Advocate General Singh said the raid was conducted in the university after registration of an FIR, which alleged the university's involvement in theft of valuable books from an ancient Islamic institution in Rampur.

The police acted in the case after taking requisite permission from the relevant judicial magistrate, said Singh.

After hearing counsel for various parties, the court asked the law officer to seek state's "instructions" in the matter and apprise the court of various details of the case.

The Rampur police has lodged a criminal case against university authorities on June 16 on a complaint by the principal of 250-year-old Rampur-based Oriental College, earlier known as Madrasa Aliya, that over 9,000 books were stolen and taken to the library of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.