Uttar Pradesh police registered an FIR against former MP Azam Khan, the Samajwadi Party's chief, and several others after a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate. The complaint alleges that Khan, as chancellor of the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, misappropriated land and money during the university's construction.
The ED says Khan illegally acquired land belonging to 26 farmers and government property, using his influence to award contracts to local contractors. A November 2023 valuation by the Rampur District Valuation Officer put the university's construction cost at Rs 494.46 crore, while the trust's tax returns show only Rs 78.32 crore in capital expenditure from 2013‑14 to 2024‑25.
Khan, who became a lifetime member and chairman of the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, allegedly controlled the trust's finances and used it to channel funds into the campus. Trust members claim they never received meeting notices or had a role in decision‑making, calling them "dummy trustees".
ED investigators seized documents and digital records during earlier searches in August, documenting alleged fictitious donations and contracts that diverted government funds to the university's construction. The FIR invokes sections on cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The police will now investigate the money trail and assess the extent of the alleged laundering, with the case slated for a special court that will determine whether Khan faces criminal prosecution under PMLA.