Nominated bench to hear plea against Patna HC orders on Bihar Vidyapeeth land case: SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday said it has nominated a bench to hear a plea challenging the Patna High Court directions to the state government to take over the 32-acre ''private'' land of ‘Bihar Vidyapeeth’, which once housed Congress office ‘Sadakat Ashram’, at a prime location in the state capital there.

The plea of ‘Bihar Vidyapeeth’ was again mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana by its lawyer Shoeb Alam that the high court passed a 22-page order in the case despite being informed about the proceedings in the top court on Wednesday.

''Despite that, a 22-page order was passed yesterday. It is kept today again. In that order, there is an observation that the Vidyapeeth, which is there on the 32 acres of land and which I own be relocated somewhere,'' the advocate told the bench which also comprised justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli.

''I do not know under what authority of law, it is happening in a PIL jurisdiction,'' the lawyer said.

''I have nominated a bench. You inform the high court,'' the CJI said.

The lawyer said various observations, which are prejudicial to the Vidyapeeth, have been made and it is not understood as to under what provision of law the private property of the society be taken over on directions of the Court. Meanwhile, the Patna High Court took up the PIL and adjourned it to August 4 to await the outcome of the plea in the apex court. Vidyapeeth, in its plea filed through lawyer Fauzia Shakil, has assailed the high court’s directions to the state government to bring about legislation and ordinances for taking over its private property.

The matter was mentioned on Wednesday also in the apex court for urgent hearing.

The Bihar Vidyapeeth, spread over 32 acres, was set up by Mahatma Gandhi on February 6, 1921, on the banks of Ganga in the state capital and had Congress party’s office ‘Sadakat Ashram’ on its land for decades.

The Patna High Court has been issuing several orders concerning the land in question while hearing a PIL.

It had in February issued a prohibitory order against alleged reports of unlawful encroachments and unauthorised transfer of Bihar Vidyapeeth land.

It had told the Patna District Magistrate not to register any auction deed executed for the transfer of Bihar Vidyapeeth property unless the high court authorizes it.

The court also chastised Bihar Vidyapeeth's management committee for its ineffectiveness in battling illegal residents and illegal traders on its property, according to the court.