Demolition of ‘Maulana’s Building’, Al Falah chairman’s ancestral home, stayed by Madhya Pradesh High Court

“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.

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.

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