Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 29 : The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted bail to senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam Khan in connection with the two PAN cards case, while suspending the sentences handed down to them by a trial court.
A single-judge bench of Justice Samit Gopal pronounced the order, though it rejected their plea seeking a stay on their conviction.
The father-son duo had moved the High Court challenging the trial court’s conviction order through a criminal revision petition. In their plea, they had sought a stay on their conviction, suspension of their sentences, and release on bail.
The court had reserved its verdict on October 15 following the conclusion of detailed arguments from both sides.
While the suspension of sentence and grant of bail provides significant interim relief to the SP leaders, the refusal to stay their conviction means their electoral disqualification stands unaffected under the relevant provisions of the law.
The case dates back to allegations of procuring and possessing two separate Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards with different dates of birth for Abdullah Azam Khan, leading to criminal proceedings against both him and his father.
On October 28 the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached the land and building of Azam Khan's Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, with a book value of Rs 426 crore and an estimated current market value of Rs 1,170 crore.
.ED's Lucknow zonal office attached the Uttar Pradesh's Rampur-based land and buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), in connection with a money laundering case against Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, Azam Khan (former Cabinet Minister of Uttar Pradesh government), and others.
The University campus at Jauhar Nagar in Singhankhera village of Rampur district is held by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, which was founded and is controlled by Azam Khan, who is also the honorary Chancellor of the University.
ED initiated an investigation under PMLA on the basis of 26 FIRs registered at Police Station Azeem Nagar in Rampur under Section 384 of the Indian Penal Code and other sections, alleging that agricultural land of farmers was forcibly taken over for the University.
Citing the inquiry report of the Rampur district administration, ED said, 45 plots of enemy property measuring about 34 acres at Singhankhera village were also illegally occupied by Azam Khan for the University, even after the lease of this land to the Trust had been cancelled by the custodian.