ED searches premises in UP, Delhi linked to Azam Khan in money-laundering probe
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Photo: IANS
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday intensified its money-laundering investigation involving jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, conducting searches at around 10 locations linked to him, the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.
The searches began early in the day and covered premises in Rampur and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, as well as Delhi. The Jauhar University campus and the trust associated with Khan were among the locations searched.
According to officials, the ED's Lucknow zonal office is conducting the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency, assisted by local police and security personnel, is examining financial records, documents and electronic evidence, The New Indian Express reported.
The probe reportedly focuses on allegations that funds linked to government contracts were diverted through private contractors and later routed to the trust or the university through donations or payments associated with construction activities. Investigators are attempting to trace the alleged proceeds of crime and determine how the funds were used.
The agency is also examining whether money allegedly diverted from government contracts was used to create assets connected to Jauhar University and the trust.
The university, founded by Azam Khan in Rampur in 2006, has faced several controversies related to its land, construction and finances. Separately, the Rampur Development Authority had raised objections to 38 of the university's 40 buildings over alleged violations of construction norms. The proposed demolition action was later temporarily stayed by the divisional commissioner pending further proceedings.
The latest searches add to the legal and political challenges facing Khan, who is currently lodged in Rampur jail along with his son, Abdullah Azam. The Samajwadi Party has also been campaigning around the dispute concerning the university and the proposed demolition of some campus structures.
As of the time of the searches, the ED had not publicly disclosed whether any documents, cash or other material had been seized. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations being examined have not been established as findings of guilt.