Azam Khan sent to 14-day judicial custody in money laundering case
The Samajwadi Party leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate following his release from Rampur jail on bail.
A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Ghaziabad sent Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan to 14 days of judicial custody on Sunday. According to reports from Hindustan Times, The Hindu and The Pioneer, Khan was taken to Dasna jail following the remand order.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Khan on Saturday evening after the Allahabad High Court suspended his sentence and granted him bail in a dual PAN card case. The agency's investigation involves alleged financial irregularities regarding the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, which was founded by Khan.
The ED told the court that Khan was not providing necessary information or evidence for the probe. The agency argued that custodial interrogation was required to trace the money trail and identify the alleged proceeds of crime.
The investigation includes allegations that funds for public works were diverted to the university and that contractors returned portions of their earnings to the trust as donations. The ED also stated that government-funded projects were carried out on the private campus.
On October 28, the ED provisionally attached the university's land and buildings, which have an estimated current market value of approximately Rs 1,170 crore. The agency has identified Rs 426.46 crore as alleged proceeds of crime.
The probe also stems from 26 FIRs registered in Rampur in July 2019, which alleged that agricultural land was forcibly acquired for the university through threats and assault.