The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear an appeal against the ongoing Patna High Court proceedings relating to the 32-acre land of Bihar Vidyapeeth, which once housed Congress office ‘Sadakat Ashram’, at a prime location in the state capital.
A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli was urged by lawyer Shoeb Alam, appearing for the owner of the land, that the high court has been proceeding towards ordering the taking over of the private property by the state.
“I am seeking urgent listing of this SLP (Special Leave Petition). The Patna High Court is proceeding to take over my private property in a PIL jurisdiction. The matter has been listed on a day-to-day basis. It is also listed today,” the advocate told the bench.
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He urged the bench to list the plea urgently and sought its nod to convey the same to the high court which has been hearing the PIL related to the land of the Vidyapeeth on a day-to-day basis.
As per the list of businesses uploaded on the website of the apex court, the matter has been listed for hearing on July 25.
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.
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Recently, a Patna High Court bench, while hearing a PIL, has been issuing several orders.
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.
-PTI Input
