Shahzad Ibrahimi, who runs a fairly celebrated eatery on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and was an attendee at Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony as Prime Minister last year, is staring at the prospect of losing his livelihood. He is likely to be evicted, but no one from the left and ultra-left dominated campus is willing to help him. There is talk on campus that this ostracism is because he attended the PM's swearing-in ceremony on 26 May 2014.

Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Ibrahimi, popularly called Mamu by students, said that he and his wife Mona Gupta — who is the official awardee of the licence to run the eatery — were worried that they would have to clear out soon. The reason: falling out of favour with the JNU administration.

On 17 November last year, Gupta was served a notice by the Estate Branch of the university, a copy of which is with this newspaper.

"This has reference to your letter dated 15. 09. 2014 informing the details of the amounts deposited by you in the University in connection with the canteen, behind Administrative Block allotted to you on license basis. It is observed that against some of the amounts, according to you, which you have deposited in the University you have not mentioned cheque No./Date/Receipt No./Date, etc.," reads the notice.

After asking Gupta to "get in touch" along with the required details, the notice adds: "In case you fail to clear the dues on or before 15.12.2014, the action will be taken as per rules of the University."

Ibrahimi and his wife claimed that they had paid their dues, which include the monthly licence fees or rent, and water and electricity charges, for which they had supporting evidence. They alleged that the administration had not maintained its own records properly and was negligent in its functioning.

Officials in the Estate Branch declined to comment on the issue when contacted by this newspaper. While M.K. Pachauri, deputy registrar (estate), claimed that the estate officer, Umakant Agarwal would be the competent authority to comment on the issue, sources in the latter's office said he had joined his position recently and had yet to see the relevant file.

"It is worthwhile to mention that no electric meter has been installed at the canteen since it started. This makes it difficult for me to know the monthly electricity consumption of my canteen. I have sent several reminders to the Estate Branch for the installation of the electric meter and other basic facilities at the canteen (since 2006)," Gupta told The Sunday Guardian.

Both Mamu and his wife are PhD holders from JNU and left sympathisers. Their decision to run an eatery received a significant amount of media attention. Ibrahimi said that he was invited to the swearing-in of the PM, who takes great pride in his past as a chai-wala, on the day of the swearing-in. "I received a call asking if I would be willing to go. I agreed and dressed quickly. They had sent two vehicles, one with media persons, to take me there," said Ibrahimi.

Ibrahimi denied that his attending the swearing-in ceremony had anything to do with his troubles with the administration, which have been going on for the last two years. However, he did mention that he was not receiving any support from any of the student organisations active on the campus.

"If no organisation is willing to help him, even though he has been on campus for several years, then it's his own fault," said a left activist, when asked why they were not helping Mamu.

While left-wing student organisations dominate the campus' politics, the RSS' student wing ABVP is also present there.

"Students from all these organisations come, have food and leave. No one is bothered about the fate of my shop," rued Ibrahimi.

Ibrahimi said that this uncertainty was hurting his business. "I cannot hire more help or expand the shop as they might close it down any day and I would lose out on my investment," he said.