Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam have been handed a seven-year prison sentence by a Special MP-MLA Magistrate Court in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. The conviction stems from a dual PAN Card case, initiated by a complaint from BJP leader Akash Saxena in December 2019. Saxena alleged that Khan and his son possessed two PAN Cards each, purportedly obtained using forged documents and featuring different dates of birth. These dual cards were allegedly used for banking transactions and income tax filings.
This sentencing occurs while Azam Khan is already grappling with over 100 cases. He was recently released on bail in September after serving approximately 23 months in Rampur jail. Earlier, he was acquitted in a separate case involving alleged misuse of his official letterhead and seal for defamatory statements against the BJP and the RSS. That incident, dating back to 2014 when Khan was a UP government minister, was dismissed by a Lucknow court due to insufficient evidence.
Following his release, Azam Khan has expressed his intent to remain active in state politics. He recently met with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, describing their bond as familial. Khan has also been vocal in his criticism of the current BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, asserting a collapse in law and order. He described the situation as ‘law’ having gone missing, with only ‘order’ prevailing.