crime

ED detains SP leader Azam Khan from outside Rampur jail as soon as he comes out on bail

31 October 2026

On October 29, the Allahabad High Court suspended the sentence of Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam Khan in the alleged dual PAN card case and granted them bail.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan waves following his release from Rampur jail, in Rampur on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday (October 31, 2026) detained senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan from outside the Rampur jail in Uttar Pradesh immediately after he was released on bail in an alleged PAN fraud case, officials said. Mr. Khan, 78, may soon be arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

On October 29, the Allahabad High Court suspended the sentence of Mr. Khan and his son Abdullah Azam Khan in the alleged dual PAN card case and granted them bail.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the action against Mr. Khan.

“Today’s rulers should remember that when times change, the throne also changes. The conspiracy of filing cases against respected Azam Khan Sahib is being seen not only by the entire country but by the entire world. It is a very cowardly act to trap an elderly person in such frivolous cases and put him in jail again and again. The current government is fostering a wrong trend, and if the wind changes, it will itself become a victim. Then there will be no running away,” he wrote on X.

Sudhir Panwar, a senior SP leader, said Azam Khan’s arrest smacked of political vendetta.

“He is the only leader languishing in jail on frivolous charges just because he established a university for the disadvantaged sections. His words outside the jail highlighted the State’s discrimination against Muslim leaders in implementing the rule of law,” he added.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | SP leader Azam Khan released from Rampur jail. After his release, an ED team has reportedly taken him into custody in connection with a case registered with the agency The Allahabad High Court has granted relief to former Cabinet Minister Mohammad Azam Khan and his son, former MLA Abdullah Azam Khan, in the two PAN card case. The Court had previously reserved its order after hearing applications seeking a stay on their conviction, suspension of their sentences, and the grant of interim bail.