Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan was scheduled to be released from Sitapur jail on Tuesday after spending nearly 23 months behind bars.
However, his release has been delayed by a few hours. Azam Khan was supposed to be freed at 8:00 a.m., but he forgot to pay fines of Rs 8,000 in two cases.
He must first pay the fines in court, after which he will be sent back to Sitapur Jail for verification before being officially released.
Ahead of his release, authorities have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in Sitapur city. Police have been making announcements through loudspeakers, warning people not to gather near the jail premises.
Despite the restrictions, a growing number of SP workers, leaders, and supporters have gathered outside Sitapur jail. Authorities have been dispersing the crowd, and several vehicles in the vicinity have been fined.
Sitapur Circle Officer Vinayak Bhosle told reporters, “Everyone knows the roads in the city are narrow, and with Navratri underway, the streets are crowded. No one is allowed to stand here without reason. Section 144 is in force, and we are taking necessary action. The crowd is being cleared from the roads.”
Preparations to welcome Azam Khan were also being coordinated by SP district president Chhatrapal Singh Yadav. Speaking to IANS, he said, “We have come to welcome him. He is our leader, and his arrival will strengthen the party even more.”
SP MLA Anil Kumar Verma, who also reached Sitapur for the occasion, added, “After a long time, the legal proceedings have concluded. We thank the court for this.”
Azam Khan was granted bail on September 18 by the Allahabad High Court in the Quality Bar land grab case. The FIR in this matter was lodged at the Civil Lines police station in Rampur, after which Khan approached the High Court seeking bail.
Earlier, on September 10, the Allahabad High Court had also granted him bail in another case related to the alleged forced eviction of residents from Rampur’s Dungarpur colony.
Previously, Khan was acquitted by a special MP-MLA court in a 17-year-old case involving allegations of road blockade and damage to public property.
Over the years, as many as 16 FIRs have been filed against Azam Khan, covering a wide range of criminal charges. (Agencies)
