The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered a status quo on a land dispute involving the nearly 150-year-old Methodist Mission Girls Junior High School in Sitapur, protecting the premises from demolition until July 20.
Emergency Weekend Sitting
An interim order was issued by a division bench comprising Justice Alok Mathur and Justice Amitabh Kumar Rai during a special Sunday hearing. The court directed the state government to ensure the physical state of the disputed land is not altered and ordered all involved parties to maintain the current status. The bench also instructed that the case be listed among the top 10 matters for the next hearing on July 20.
Representatives for the school sought the urgent weekend intervention, citing an imminent threat of demolition to the institution and an active church located within its gates.
Ownership Dispute Over Century Old Land
The dispute centers on 3.562 hectares of land located in Chhawani Kadim village, Khairabad Pargana, Sitapur. According to the petitioners, the property was purchased by their predecessors in 1862, and both the school and the church have been operational there since. The petition contends that state records incorrectly classified the plot as “nazul,” or government-owned, land.
State Government Denies Targeting School Buildings
In response, state representatives argued that a June 24, 2026 order issued by the Sitapur District Magistrate did not apply to the specific sections of the property where the school and church stand. The state submitted that administrative demolition actions were strictly limited to other encroached portions of the site.
Additionally, the state government informed the court that following clearance operations on July 10, 2026, control of a portion of the cleared land was transferred to the Sitapur Municipal Council.
Following arguments from both parties, the high court ordered the preservation of the property’s current state, halting any further changes or demolition activities until the case is heard next week.
