Hyderabad: Sultan-Ul-Uloom Educational Society (SUES), Muffakham Jah College of Engineering, and several associated institutions, including the colleges of law and
After the verdict, the society sought to reassure students and parents.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, its secretary Zafer Javeed said, “The judgment specifies that enrolled students are safe, and we have not yet applied for next year’s affiliation.”
Javeed added that while the society planned to file an appeal against the ruling, there will be no immediate disruption to ongoing operations or student enrolment.
The judgment is centred around the disputed land in Banjara Hills, originally linked to the Moazzam Jah Trust, which has been mired in a complex legal heir battle for decades. Multiple claimants, including direct descendants and extended family members of the last Nizam, had laid claim to portions of the trust’s vast assets, complicating any definitive legal ownership of properties associated with the trust.
The Moazzam Jah Trust, established by the Nizam for specific charitable and educational purposes, has seen its properties entangled in legal disputes among various heirs.
The involvement of SUES and other institutions in this contested land complicated the legal status of their possession.
AICTE’s stringent demands for regulatory compliance revealed numerous gaps in the society’s operational framework. The major ones among them were the absence of valid land ownership documentation, approved building plans and occupancy certificates —cornerstone requirements under the AICTE’s framework.
Despite operating since the 1980s, the society and its associated institutions never secured a formal conveyance deed for the land, relying instead on historical possession claims. This contravened not only AICTE norms but also breached the Transfer of Property Act, which mandates clear legal titles for properties used for institutional purposes.
AICTE’s regulatory rulebook outlines strict adherence to conditions for land ownership, use, and approval standards for educational institutions. Non-compliance with these requirements was detailed in an expert committee’s comprehensive review.
The committee found that SUES, Muffakham Jah College, and related entities were in breach of multiple norms, including presenting affidavits that allegedly misrepresented compliance status to regulatory bodies. The absence of critical approvals and valid documentation has prompted AICTE to caution against potential withdrawal of operational approvals unless corrective measures were taken.
