Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan sent to 14-day judicial custody

Lucknow-based Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, a former Uttar Pradesh minister, has been arrested and placed under 14-day judicial custody by a PMLA court in Ghaziabad. The Special Enforcement Directorate (ED) apprehended him outside Rampur jail upon his release on bail. On October 29, the Allahabad High Court had granted Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, bail in the alleged dual PAN card case.

The ED had initiated its probe based on 26 FIRs filed by the U.P. Police in July 2019, accusing Azam Khan and others of forcibly occupying agricultural land in Singankhera village for the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University. Allegations include assault, unlawful confinement, and threats to force farmers to sign sale deeds in favor of the university.

Bulldozers were reportedly used to demolish 38 buildings of the university, leading to student protests and accusations of political targeting. The ED has attached the land and buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University to the tune of ₹426.46 crore under the PMLA, with a current value of around ₹1,170 crore. Searches at the university and related premises in August 2026 led to the seizure of incriminating documents and electronic devices. The investigation into the case is ongoing.