The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at around 10 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi linked to jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, his Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University.
The searches were carried out in Rampur and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi’s Jamia Nagar as part of a money laundering investigation registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency is looking into alleged diversion of government contract funds through private contractors and their subsequent use, including for the creation of assets linked to the trust and university.
Probe Into Alleged Diversion Of Government Funds
According to ED officials, the investigation has revealed alleged financial transactions between certain contractors and the trust.
The agency suspects that some contractors who benefited from government contracts allegedly diverted part of those funds towards the trust and university through donations and construction-related work.
Officials said the searches are aimed at tracing the alleged proceeds of crime and collecting financial records, documents and digital evidence connected to the suspected diversion and utilisation of government funds.
The premises searched reportedly include those of a chartered accountant in Saharanpur, as well as two companies and their promoters allegedly linked to the trust.
Azam Khan Heads Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust
The Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, headquartered in Lucknow, is headed by Azam Khan, along with family members and associates.
The trust runs the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University, which was established in 2006, as well as a public school in Rampur.
The latest ED action is part of a wider series of legal and administrative controversies surrounding the university and its founder.
Jauhar University Already Facing Demolition Dispute
The university recently faced a separate dispute with the Rampur Development Authority (RDA).
In July, the RDA directed the university administration to demolish 38 of its 40 buildings, alleging that the structures had been constructed without approved building plans under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973.
The proposed demolition triggered protests by university students, who expressed concern that the action could disrupt their education.
The divisional commissioner subsequently stayed the proposed demolition and directed authorities not to take further administrative action until further orders.
Opposition Alleges Political Vendetta
The ED searches have also drawn criticism from the Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties, which have accused the government of targeting Azam Khan and institutions associated with him for political reasons.
The parties have urged authorities to examine the legal aspects of the university dispute before taking further action.
The ED searches, however, are part of a separate money laundering investigation, with the agency currently examining alleged financial transactions, government contract funds, documents and digital evidence connected to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and university.
