The Allahabad High Court on Friday granted interim relief to more than two dozen madrasas in Uttar Pradesh’s Shravasti district, staying any coercive action — including demolition — by the state authorities.

The order was passed by the Lucknow bench of the High Court while hearing petitions filed by Madrasa Moinul Islam Qasmiya Samiti and 26 other madrasas challenging notices issued by the state government. The court also directed the state to file its reply by July 3.

Justice Jaspreet Singh observed that demolition or sealing actions cannot proceed in the absence of proper notice and due process. The petitioners alleged that the notices were vague, not properly served, and lacked application of mind.

Their counsels — Nipendra Singh, Aviral Raj Singh, Ali Moid, and Mohd Yasir — argued that the state was attempting to restrain them from imparting religious education without legal justification.

In response, Standing Counsel Upendra Singh sought two weeks to obtain instructions, but failed to produce relevant records despite a previous court order.

Granting the state's request for time, the court extended interim protection to the petitioners. It also emphasised that show cause notices must be specific and detailed to enable the recipients to respond effectively.

The case comes in the wake of a state-wide drive targeting allegedly illegal religious structures and unrecognised institutions, particularly in districts bordering Nepal. In May, authorities demolished a madrasa in Bhagwanpur Bhaisahi village and sealed two others in Shravasti. Similar actions have been reported in Balrampur, Bahraich, Maharajganj, and Lakhimpur Kheri.

The High Court had earlier, on May 14, passed a similar stay order in a related matter involving Madrasa Maktab Anwarul Uloom in Shravasti.