The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan on Saturday, minutes after he was released on bail from Rampur district jail, where he had been lodged for nearly 11 months.
ED officials took Khan into custody from outside the prison in connection with a money laundering investigation registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). His son, Abdullah Azam Khan, who was also released on bail, left for home.
A Lucknow Zonal Office official confirmed Khan’s apprehension to Hindustan Times, saying the agency would complete the arrest formalities and produce him before a special PMLA court in Ghaziabad.
According to The Times of India, the ED had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in 2019 in connection with allegations of financial irregularities and land grabbing involving Khan, the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and others.
Khan had been lodged in Rampur jail since November 17, 2025. His release on Saturday was brief, as ED officials questioned him outside the prison before taking him away in a vehicle.
Azam Khan says arrest is ‘punishment for being a Muslim’
Reacting to his arrest, Khan alleged that he was being targeted because of his religious identity.
“What more can I say now? This is the punishment for being a Muslim. The mistake is that a Muslim built a university. That is our crime,” he said.
A large contingent of police and central paramilitary personnel was deployed outside the jail as the ED team took Khan into custody. His supporters had gathered to welcome him after his release and were heard raising slogans in his favour.
Allahabad High Court grants bail in dual PAN card case
Khan and his son Abdullah were released after the Allahabad High Court suspended their sentences and granted them bail in the alleged dual PAN card case.
The court passed its order on October 29 but declined to stay their convictions. Consequently, their disqualification from contesting elections remains in force.
Rampur jail superintendent Rajesh Yadav confirmed their release, saying the prison authorities had received release orders in 50 cases involving Azam Khan and 40 cases involving Abdullah.
While Abdullah left for home, the ED took Khan into custody in the separate money laundering case.
ED attaches Jauhar University assets worth ₹1,170 crore
The arrest comes two days after the ED attached land and buildings belonging to Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, estimating their current market value at approximately ₹1,170 crore.
The university is located in Jauhar Nagar village and is owned by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, founded and controlled by Khan, who also serves as its honorary chancellor.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ED’s Lucknow zonal office said its investigation had identified assets worth ₹426.46 crore as alleged proceeds of crime.
The agency claimed that government funds, construction materials and donations from contractors executing public works had been diverted towards building the university campus. It said the attachment valuation was determined by comparing the assessed cost of the campus with expenditure it considered supported by legitimate sources.
The ED is investigating Khan, the trust and other individuals in connection with alleged financial irregularities. The agency has also taken cognisance of 58 police FIRs against Khan, according to reports.
