New Delhi: Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan finds himself in fresh legal trouble over an 18-year-old case involving alleged extortion and the demolition of a papad factory. The MP-MLA Magistrate Trial Court has rejected the police’s final report and ordered a reinvestigation into the matter.
The case dates back to July 19, 2006, when Khan was serving as the Minister for Urban Development under the SP government. Afzal Khan, along with Zulfiqar Khan and Anwar Khan, residents of Mohalla Sarai Sahadat Yar Khan in UP’s Rampur, alleged that on Azam Khan’s orders, administrative officials forcibly demolished their papad factory, flour mill, and cellar located in Saijani Nankar. The complainants claimed the action was taken after they refused to pay a Rs 5 lakh donation demanded by Khan.
FIR registered in July 2007
After the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) came to power in 2007, the victims submitted a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police (SP) on July 10, 2007. An FIR was registered at Ganj Police Station against Azam Khan on the charges of extortion, intimidation, assault, and destruction of property.
The police, after completing their investigation, submitted a final report to the court, which issued notices to the complainants. However, Zulfiqar Khan, son of the now-deceased Afzal Khan, filed an objection through his lawyer, challenging the police’s findings and questioning the integrity of the investigation.
MP-MLA court dismisses police’s final report
After hearing the arguments, the MP-MLA Magistrate Trial Court dismissed the police’s final report and instructed that the case be re-examined.
Azam Khan is currently serving a sentence in Sitapur Jail along with his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, in a case related to two birth certificates. He faces additional legal battles, including a case about the forced evacuation of the Dungarpur settlement. It is also under trial at the MP-MLA court.
Inspector Ramveer Singh Yadav, the surveillance officer from Sambhal, recently provided testimony in this case, with the next hearing scheduled for February 19.
