Allahabad HC stays coercive action against over 2 dozen madrasas in Sharvasti district

Lucknow, Jun 6 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a stay on any coercive action, including demolition, against more than two dozen madrasas in Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh.
    The Lucknow bench passed the interim order on petitions filed by Madrasa Moinul Islam Qasmiya Samiti and 26 other individual madrasas, all in Shravasti district.
    Justice Jaspreet Singh also directed the state government to file its reply by July 3.
    Last month, an "illegal" madrasa built on government land in Bhagwanpur Bhaisahi village of Shravasti was demolished and two more were sealed as part of an Uttar Pradesh government drive against illegal encroachments and unrecognised religious institutions in districts bordering Nepal.
    Besides Shravasti, a special campaign was launched by the local administrations and police in Balrampur, Bahraich, Maharajganj and Lakhimpur Kheri.
    The petitioner madrasas have challenged notices issued by the state, which allegedly sought to restrain them from imparting religious education.
    Madrasa lawyers --“ Nipendra Singh, Aviral Raj Singh, Ali Moid and Mohd Yasir -- argued that the impugned notices were never properly served on them and were issued without proper application of mind.
    Opposing the plea, Standing Counsel Upendra Singh requested two weeks to obtain instructions in the matter. However, despite the court's previous order, he was unable to produce the relevant records.
    While granting the request for more time to the state, Justice Singh stayed any administrative or demolition action against the madrasas until the next hearing.
    "It is now equally well settled that where any notice in the nature of a show cause is issued, it must be issued with sufficient particularity so that the noticee can respond specifically and can know what charge is to be replied," the court said.
    On May 14, the HC had issued a similar order on a petition related to another Shravasti madrasa -- Maktab Anwarul Uloom.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)