Rampur: A probe has been ordered against former UP Minister Azam Khan on a complaint alleging that he had encroached upon an enemy property for setting up his Jauhar university here.
District Magistrate SS Awasthi told PTI today that P Srinivasan, the state custodian for enemy property, has asked him to investigate the complaint lodged against Azam by a former zila panchayat head.
It was alleged that Khan had encroached on 60 ‘bighas’ of land, which was enemy property in 2006, while setting up of Jauhar university.
Former zila panchayat head Hafiz Abdul Salam had written to the custodian of enemy property and the central department has asked the Rampur collector to look into the matter.
DM Awasthi is also the the ex-officio custodian of enemy property in the district.
The official has ordered investigations into the complaint regarding encroachment of 60 ‘bighas’ of land.
After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the Enemy Property Act was enacted in 1968, which regulates such properties and lists the Custodian’s powers.
On March 14, the Parliament passed a bill to amend the 49-year-old law.
As per the bill, successors of those who migrated to Pakistan and China during partition will have no claim over the properties left behind in India.
According to the letter, the land where Jauhar University has come up, belongs to one Imamuddin Quresi who had migrated to Pakistan and never returned.
In 2014, the land was allotted to Border Security Force but it could not take possession of the land due to alleged apathy of the administration due to political pressure at that time.
Salam and Azam Khan have been at loggerheads ever since the former had organised a protest against the SP leader’s decision to build a sports complex in Alia Ganj village after demolition of some properties there.
Meanwhile, a delegation of BJP activists led by Shiv Bahadur Saxena, a former minister in Kalyan Singh cabinet, met the district magistrate and demanded an inquiry to ascertain whether Azam Khan is in possession of any arms.
Khan had recently threatened to blow up a guest house in Jauhar University if anyone tried to lay a hand on it following which UP Minister of State Baldev Singh Aoulakh said a probe will be held to find out what arms he possesses.
PTI