ED arrests Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan after jail release
The Enforcement Directorate took Azam Khan into custody in Rampur following his release on bail in a dual PAN card case.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) took Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan into custody from outside the Rampur district jail on Saturday. The arrest occurred moments after Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam, were released from prison following their bail in a dual PAN card case, according to reports by Hindustan Times, The Tribune and Free Press Journal.
The agency is investigating money laundering linked to the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust. Officials stated that Khan is accused of using his former position as Cabinet minister for Urban Development to divert public funds for the construction of the private university. The ED has previously attached university assets, including land and buildings, valued at Rs 1,170 crore.
Khan, who had been in jail since November 2025, told reporters outside the prison that he was being targeted for his faith. He questioned if building a university and schools for children was a crime. His legal team has described the ED's actions as unconstitutional.
The arrest took place as hundreds of Samajwadi Party supporters gathered at the jail. While Abdullah Azam was allowed to walk free, Khan was intercepted by the ED team. A senior official said Khan would be produced before a special PMLA court in Ghaziabad on Sunday to seek custodial interrogation.
The move follows the Allahabad High Court's decision on Thursday to grant bail and suspend the sentences of Khan and his son in the PAN card matter. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider alleged that the government is attempting to implicate Khan in new cases through central agencies.