Hyderabad grieves the loss of one of its most distinguished legal minds and community stalwarts, Senior Supreme Court and High Court advocate Syed Jaleel Ahmed, who succumbed to a brief illness on Wednesday, January 14. He was 85.
Born in the modest lanes of the Old City, Ahmed rose from humble beginnings to become a towering figure in the legal profession.
With more than 50 illustrious years at the Bar, Ahmed pioneered landmark litigation in land acquisition and urban land ceiling cases, championing the rights of ordinary landowners against state-driven development projects. His nuanced balancing act between public progress and private property set precedents that continue to guide legal discourse today.
His advocacy directly enabled the creation of dozens of housing colonies across Hyderabad, turning countless dreams of homeownership into reality for middle-class families.
More than just legal acumen
Ahmed’s legacy extends far beyond legal chambers. As a founding member of Muslim Educational and Social Development Organisation (MESCO), he helped shape educational access for Muslim children, laying foundations for schools that still thrive today.
From 2016 to 2021, he served as president of the All-India Majlis Tameer‑e‑Millat, guiding the organisation through turbulent times such as the sudden loss of its former president, Abdul Raheem Qureshi, due to the COVID‑19 pandemic, and the devastating Hyderabad floods of September 2020. Under his steady leadership, the organisation regained stability, upheld its core mission of advancing the social, educational and economic development of Muslims in Hyderabad, and delivered vital relief distribution of food, medicine and other emergency supplies across flood- and pandemic-affected neighbourhoods of the Old City.
As Hyderabad bids farewell to this giant of law and service, his life reminds us that true greatness lies not in titles, but in the quiet impact made on ordinary lives. One courtroom argument, one housing plot, one child educated, one flood-stricken family fed, all stitched together by a man who never forgot where he came from.
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