Aligarh Muslim University land dispute reaches Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has addressed a land dispute involving Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and the Aligarh Municipal Corporation regarding approximately 41 bighas of land associated with the AMU Riding Club.

The dispute arose after the Aligarh Municipal Corporation took possession of the land on April 30, 2025, and installed a claim board. While AMU maintained ownership of the property, the university did not initiate legal proceedings to protect the land. Consequently, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by Kaif Hasan and 23 other AMU students.

In its May 21, 2025, order, the High Court dismissed the PIL because the petition lacked sufficiently specific pleadings to identify the disputed land. However, the Court did not rule on the actual ownership of the property. The judge noted that AMU, as a juristic person, possesses substantial legal resources and advice to defend its own property rights, raising questions regarding why students were required to act as litigants in the matter.