Tirupati: In a major development, Chittoor District Collector K Ramgopal has ordered demolition of unauthorised constructions by the controversial Heera International Islamic College, coming up near Chandragiri.
The Collector in his order dated November 17 directed the Secretary of Thondavada Grama Panchayat, under which the area where the multi-layer Islamic university is located, to immediately demolish the unauthorised constructions from G+ 2 to G+6 of the college.
They also protested against the setting up of the college trying to function as a university. A website in the name of Heera Muslim University was recently changed as Heera Islamic College, following doubts about its credibility.
TTPS leaders including a retired High Court Judge Parvatha Rao, retired DGP T S Rao and others had also petitioned District Collector to stop the Islamic College coming up near Tirupati, the holy place of Hindus, to ensure peace and tranquility of the holy place.
They had claimed that the land was once a temple tank and the temple was demolished by a king Hyder Ali, and petitioned the Endowment Department to make an enquiry to ascertain whether it was a temple land or not.
The college was founded by a woman Nowhera Shaik. She first started an Islamic School for Girls in Tirupati in the name of Madarsa Niswan in 1998, providing free education to 150 girls before setting up Heera Islamic College.
