Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan To Walk Out Of Jail After 23 Months

Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan To Walk Out Of Jail After 23 Months

Azam Khan is scheduled for release from Sitapur jail today following nearly two years of incarceration.

Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh):

Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan will be released from Sitapur jail on Tuesday after spending approximately 23 months behind bars.

Azam Khan's exit from Sitapur jail faces a brief delay. Originally planned for 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, his release has been postponed because he overlooked payment of an Rs 8,000 fine related to two cases.

The fine must be paid in court before he returns to Sitapur Jail for verification procedures, after which his release will be processed.

In anticipation of his release, authorities have implemented prohibitory orders under Section 144 throughout Sitapur city. Police are using loudspeakers to warn citizens against gathering near the jail facility.

Despite these restrictions, numerous SP workers, leaders, and supporters have congregated outside the jail. Officials are working to disperse these crowds, and several vehicles in the vicinity have received fines.

Sitapur Circle Officer Vinayak Bhosle told reporters, "Everyone is aware that city roads are narrow and Navratri celebrations have increased pedestrian traffic. Loitering without purpose is not permitted here. We are enforcing Section 144 and removing roadway obstructions."

Meanwhile, SP district president Chhatrapal Singh Yadav has been organizing a welcome reception for Azam Khan.

Speaking to IANS, he remarked, "We have come to welcome him. He is our leader. His return will further strengthen our party."

SP MLA Anil Kumar Verma, who also arrived in Sitapur to greet the senior leader, stated, "The legal proceedings have finally concluded after a considerable period. We express our gratitude to the court for this decision."

On September 18, the Allahabad High Court granted Azam Khan bail in the Quality Bar land grab case. The case stemmed from an FIR filed at Rampur's Civil Lines police station, prompting Khan to petition the High Court for bail.

Earlier this month, on September 10, the Allahabad High Court had also approved his bail application in another case concerning alleged forced evictions of residents from Rampur's Dungarpur colony.

Prior to these developments, a special MP-MLA court acquitted Khan in a 17-year-old case involving accusations of road blockade and damage to public property.

Throughout his career, Azam Khan has faced 16 FIRs encompassing a wide spectrum of criminal allegations.