SC grants interim bail to Azam Khan; directs SP leader to apply for regular bail

In a massive development, the Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim bail to senior Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Azam Khan in a matter concerning the Kotwali police station in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur.

The apex court has granted liberty to Azam Khan to apply for regular bail within a period of two weeks before the courts concerned. The interim bail will continue until the regular bail is decided by the competent court, the SC added.

SC seeks UP govt's reply on delay in Azam Khan's bail hearing

On May 11, the Supreme Court expressed its displeasure with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government's approach while dealing with senior SP leader Azam Khan's case. The apex court had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file a reply to a plea filed by the SP MLA on the delay in hearing his bail petition in a land grabbing case. A 3-judge bench comprising justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai and AS Bopanna asked the UP government to file its reply as the court will resume hearing on Tuesday. 

"What is this? Why not let him go. He has been in jail for two years. One or two cases are okay but it cannot be in 89 cases. Whenever he gets bail, he is again sent to jail for some other matter. You file a reply. We will hear on Tuesday," the bench had said.

It is pertinent to mention that Azam Khan, on May 10, secured bail in connection with a case related to grabbing 'enemy property' on 1 lakh security and was ordered by the court to hand over the property to the Para Military forces. An FIR was registered during the partition, alleging that one Imamuddin Qureshi went to Pakistan and his land was recorded as enemy property, but Khan conspired and grabbed the plot.

A single-judge bench of Justice Rahul Chaturvedi granted bail to Khan in 87 out of 88 cases. Notably, a new case was registered against him on the charges of submitting a forged building document in order to obtain the recognition of three schools which he is the chairman of. The SP MLA has been booked under IPC Sections-- 120B (criminal conspiracy), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (whoever fraudulently uses as genuine any document or electronic record). Therefore, because of this new case, he will not be released from jail.

(Image: PTI)