The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday registered a case against senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on allegations of money laundering. The case has been registered against him in connection with multiple alleged land-grab cases that have been registered against him in Uttar Pradesh.
As per officials, the ED has taken cognizance of at least 26 FIRs filed by the state police against Rampur MP to file its Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR). The ECIR is Enforcement Directorate’s equivalent of a police FIR. The ED has also pressed sections of Prevention of Money Laundering Act against him and others who have allegedly grabbed land by threatening extortion, officials told PTI.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Allahabad High Court sought details of the case that led the police to raid Mohammad Ail Jauhar University based in Rampur. The university has been founded by Azam Khan.
The bench comprising justices S K Gupta and S S Shamshery asked Uttar Pradesh’s law officer to inform the court of the case while hearing a plea filed against police raids on the university. The bench then fixed the date of hearing on the plea filed by the university registrar on August 6.
The petition has been filed alleging that the police entered the university premises without a search warrant. They not only destroyed several things but also arrested some of its employees.
Additional Advocate General Singh, who appeared for the state said that was conducted in the university after an FIR was registered, alleging university’s involvement in the theft of valuable books from an ancient Islamic institution in Rampur.
Earlier on Thursday, his son and party MLA Abdullah was detained by the state police for alleged violation of section 144. this section prohibits unlawful assembly of over five people. He and his supporters were protesting after which police took them to custody.
Speaking to reporters before he was detained Abdullah said he along with his supporters were fighting for their rights and that people are being framed in wrong cases. He also observed that there is a failure of law and order in Uttar Pradesh.
