3 min readBhopalUpdated: Nov 22, 2025 04:26 PM IST
The High Court’s stay on Friday prevents the Mhow Cantonment Board from carrying out any demolition or structural action at the site until the matter returns to court.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday temporarily halted the demolition of a residence in Mhow linked to Al Falah University chairman Jawad Siddiqui, granting a 15-day interim stay.
Justice Pranay Verma perused the demolition notice to remark that the earlier notices were issued to the petitioner in 1996-1997.
“If any action was to be taken against the petitioner after a period of almost 30 years from the date of issuance of previous notice, he ought to have been afforded an opportunity of hearing,” the court said.
The latest demolition notice coincided with renewed scrutiny of the Siddiqui family amid a multi-state fraud probe, which was refreshed after at least two doctors employed by Al Falah Medical College in Haryana’s Faridabad were allegedly linked to a terror module that is suspected to be behind the November 10 blast near the Red Fort in Delhi.
The four-storey structure, known locally as “Maulana’s Building”, is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Mhow’s Kayastha neighbourhood.
The High Court’s stay on Friday prevents the Mhow Cantonment Board from carrying out any demolition or structural action at the site until the matter returns to court.
The stay was issued during a hearing on a petition filed by one Abdul Majid, who has been residing in the building with his family. The petition challenges the Cantonment Board’s demolition notice, arguing that it fails to specify which portion of the structure is unauthorised. According to Majid, the board relied on documents from 1996-97 instead of conducting a present-day assessment, leaving the basis for the demolition unclear.
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Advocate Ajay Bagadiya, representing Majid, told the court that the notice violated the Supreme Court’s 2025 guidelines that mandate a minimum 15-day period for response in demolition cases. The board had issued only a three-day ultimatum, prompting the petition. The counsel further noted that similar notices had been sent nearly three decades ago, but no follow-up action was taken at the time.
“Ownership of the property has also come under scrutiny. The house originally belonged to the late Mohammad Hammad Siddiqui, father of Jawad Siddiqui, who later transferred ownership to his son. Jawad subsequently gifted the property to Abdul Majid, who now claims to be the lawful owner,” he said.
Earlier this week, Jawad’s younger brother, Hamud Ahmed Siddiqui, was arrested in Hyderabad after evading authorities for nearly 25 years. He is accused in multiple investment fraud cases dating back to 2000, involving the alleged defrauding of retired Army and Military Engineer Services personnel through bogus investment schemes.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
