- Azam Khan arrested by ED minutes after Rampur jail bail.
- Arrest linked to money laundering, PMLA case.
- ED attached Mohammad Ali Jauhar University assets worth Rs 1,170 crore.
In a dramatic turn of events, senior Samajwadi Party leader and former MP Azam Khan was arrested minutes after he and his son Abdullah Azam walked out of the Rampur district jail on Saturday, following court bail after 11 months. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) took him in costody outside the jail moments after he came out.
What Led To His Arrest?
The Central agency arrested Khan in a case linked to money laundering. Khan will be produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ghaziabad on Sunday, where the agency will seek his remand for custodial interrogation. Khan's supporters were heard raising slogans in his favour. The federal probe agency has booked Khan and others under the PMLA, taking cognisance of 58 UP police FIRs registered against him and his alleged associates.
#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.
— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2026
Punishment For Being A Muslim: Khan
The politician spoke to reporters outside the Rampur district jail, where he has been lodged since November 2025. "Kehne ko kya hai (there is nothing to say). This is a punishment for being a Muslim. The mistake is that a Muslim made a University and school for students," Khan said in front of his supporters at the jail.
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VIDEO | Rampur, Uttar Pradesh: After being released from Rampur jail, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan says, "What is there left to say? The rule of law has ended. This is the punishment for being a Muslim. The only mistake is that a Muslim established a university. That is the crime. A Muslim built schools for children for the welfare of society. Is that our crime?" (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTfmBd)
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 31, 2026
Earlier on Thursday, the father-son duo got relief from the Allahabad High Court after it suspended their sentence in the dual PAN cards case.
Khan was initially detained by the officials of the ED Lucknow zone amid a heavy posse of central paramilitary and UP police personnel.
On Wednesday, the ED said it has attached the land and building of Khan's Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur under the anti-money laundering law. These assets command a current market value of Rs 1,170 crore, it had said in a statement. The agency alleged that government funds meant for public works were diverted for the construction of the private varsity, as it accused the SP leader of using his influence as the Cabinet minister for Urban Development and the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam for these alleged irregularities.
The Rampur Development Authority (RDA) has ordered the demolition of 38 buildings on the University campus in July, following which the varsity filed an appeal.
(With PTI Inputs)