Azam Khan Gets Relief From Arrest As High Court Stays 29 FIRs Against SP Leader

In relief for Rampur MP Azam Khan, Allahabad High Court on Wednesday put a stay on 29 FIRs registered against the Samajwadi Party leader. This means Khan won’t be arrested for now. However, the bench headed by Justice Manoj Mishra and Justice Manju Rani refused to quash the cases pending against Azam Khan. The cases are related to the FIRs lodged by farmers accusing him of land grab. The farmers alleged Azam Khan of grabbing their land during the Samajwadi Party rule in Uttar Pradesh. The land is now a part of Khan's Jauhar University. 

Authorities have claimed the gate of his Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, established by Khan in 2006, is built on a government land.

Khan has linked the action against him in the university cases to upcoming assembly bypolls in the state. He has been accusing the BJP government of committing "atrocity" to win the upcoming bypolls in the state, in reference to raids conducted at the varsity. 

After BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, man named Akash Saxena took the matter to UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The matter was sent to then Rampur DM Shiv Sahai.

Moreover, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav accused the BJP government in UP of applying political vendetta against Khan. In his first press conference in months, he said that issue will be taken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, SP president Akhilesh Yadav had said all cases lodged against Azam Khan would be withdrawn if the party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh. According to a statement issued by the Samajwadi Party, Yadav made these remarks at Rampur, where he had met Khan's family at his residence and visited Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, Urdu Gate and Rampur Public School International.

He had assured the party's full support to Khan, who is facing several police cases including those related to alleged land-grabbing. Authorities claim that the gate of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, established by Khan in 2006, is built on government land.