Temporary Reprieve for Ancestral Home Amidst Delhi Blast Probe

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has temporarily stayed the demolition notice for 'unauthorised construction' at Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui's ancestral home. Siddiqui, the chancellor of Al-Falah University, is central to a Delhi blast probe. The court's interim order was made following a petition by Abdul Majid, the house occupant.

The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted a temporary stay on a demolition notice issued by the Mhow Cantonment Board, sparing the ancestral residence of Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the chancellor of Al-Falah University and a figure in the Delhi blast investigation. The court's decision came after a plea filed by Abdul Majid, a current inhabitant, challenging the directive.

The board had labelled the construction on the property as 'unauthorised' and issued a notice, demanding its removal within three days, having failed to receive a response to earlier notifications. However, Majid, asserting ownership of the house through an Islamic gift from Siddiqui, sought legal intervention, highlighting procedural failures such as the lack of a hearing opportunity.

Highlighting the significant time lapse since previous notices in the 1990s, the court insisted on providing Majid a chance to present his case fully. The high court declared no coercive measures should be pursued until further proceedings, thereby pausing the development amidst the ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)