Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, will remain in jail even after securing bail from the Supreme Court. Legal hurdles are preventing their immediate release. The father-son duo is facing multiple cases, complicating their legal battle. Their continued detention has sparked political discussions.
New Delhi: Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, will remain in custody despite receiving bail from the Supreme Court in the cleaning machine theft case.
The father-son pair has been imprisoned since October 18, 2023, totaling over 16 months in jail.
They faced allegations related to the recovery of a cleaning machine belonging to the Nagar Palika Parishad Rampur, which was found on the premises of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University. On Thursday, the Supreme Court granted bail to both Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam Khan in this case.
However, their release is being delayed due to multiple legal challenges.
Also Read: Allahabad HC Reserves Judgment on Azam Khan Family’s ‘Forgery Case’ Appeals
Advocate Nasir Sultan, representing Azam Khan, stated that despite the bail, several other pending cases complicate their immediate release. He noted that Azam Khan has received sentences of 10 and 7 years for forced eviction and the demolition of numerous houses under the pretext of illegal encroachment on government land in Dungarpur.
Additionally, Azam Khan faces more than half a dozen ongoing cases.
Currently, Azam Khan is serving his sentence in Sitapur jail, while Abdullah Azam Khan is in Hardoi jail related to an enemy property case.
Advocate Sultan emphasized that appeals against Azam Khan’s sentences are still pending in both the High Court and the Supreme Court. His release will depend on these appeals being resolved and bail being granted in the other cases.
Regarding Abdullah Azam Khan, despite having secured bail from the Supreme Court, his release is hindered by his involvement in the enemy property case.
The advocate mentioned,
“Abdullah Azam Khan has filed a bail petition in Rampur’s MP-MLA Special Court, which will be heard on Friday. If the court grants him bail, he could be released from jail,”
Azam Khan and his family have faced over 100 legal cases since the fall of the Samajwadi Party government in 2017. Azam Khan, a notable leader and ten-time MLA from Rampur Sadar, was disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in October 2022 after being convicted in a 2019 hate speech case.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party MLA from Rampur’s Suar constituency, was disqualified in February 2023 for using criminal force against a public servant.
Due to their convictions, both are barred from contesting elections for six years under the Representation of the People Act.