The Enforcement Directorate detained Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan minutes after he walked out of Rampur jail on bail.
The detention is linked to a money laundering probe involving the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and its university.
The ED recently attached land and buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, valuing the properties at approximately ₹1,170 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) detained Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan minutes after he walked out of Rampur jail on bail on Friday, Hindustan Times reported. The agency took action just outside the prison in connection with an alleged money laundering case.
“We have apprehended Azam Khan. After following arrest procedures, we will arrest him and produce (him) before the Ghaziabad PMLA court,” a Lucknow zonal official told Hindustan Times.
The ED is investigating alleged money laundering involving the former Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister, the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and others. The probe is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
What Is The ED Case Against Azam Khan ?
The investigation concerns alleged financial irregularities involving Khan and the trust that runs Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur. The ED is also examining assets linked to the case.
The official told HT that Khan would be produced before the PMLA court in Ghaziabad after the completion of arrest formalities.
The agency has also taken action against properties linked to the trust. On Wednesday, it announced the attachment of land and buildings belonging to Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, valuing the properties at approximately ₹1,170 crore.
ED Attaches University Properties Worth ₹1,170 Crore
The university campus is located in Jauhar Nagar village in Rampur and belongs to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust. Khan founded the trust and controls it. He is also the university's honorary chancellor.
In a statement, the ED's Lucknow zonal office said its investigation under the PMLA had identified assets worth ₹426.46 crore as alleged proceeds of crime.
The agency alleged that funds from the government, building materials and donations from contractors handling public works had been channelled into the university project.
The ED said it calculated the attachment value by comparing the assessed cost of the campus with expenditure it considered to be supported by legitimate sources.
