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Azam Khan got “police” help, U.P. govt launches probe
The official confirmed that the home department issued an order dated September 10, stating that an FIR against Azam Khan and his associates was lodged in 2019 for grabbing enemy property.
LUCKNOW: Azam Khan’s influence still prevails among police and administrative officials, as shown by an incident where government officials allegedly manipulated an investigation into a case against him for illegally grabbing enemy property for Maulana Ali Jauhar University by forging land records. The Uttar Pradesh government initiated a probe into the matter.
A senior state government official confirmed that on Tuesday, the state’s home department had formed a joint committee. This committee includes Aligarh divisional commissioner Chaitra V and inspector general of police, vigilance, Manzil Saini, to investigate allegations against the former SP Rampur in May 2023 and others. The committee was formed after a preliminary inquiry validated the claims made by local BJP leaders, he said.
The official confirmed that the home department issued an order dated September 10, stating that an FIR against Azam Khan and his associates was lodged in 2019 for grabbing enemy property. A separate FIR was filed on May 9, 2020, for manipulating and fudging enemy property records to show Sayyed Afaaq Ahmad, the officer on special duty (OSD) to Azam Khan during his tenure as cabinet minister from 2012 to 2017, as the real owner. The chargesheet for the second case was filed on August 19, 2023, and the case remains pending in a Rampur court.
“The investigation officer (IO) for the second case was changed multiple times between 2020 and 2022, after which the investigation was handed over to Gajendra Tyagi, the inspector in-charge of Rampur Kotwali. Tyagi included Azam Khan’s name in the investigation based on a statement from Lekhpal Abhishek Tyagi of Sighankheda village on April 27, 2023. Shortly after Azam Khan’s name appeared in the FIR, the IO was again changed on May 17, 2023, by the then SP Rampur, Ashok Kumar Shukla,” he said.
He further said that the investigation was transferred to crime branch inspector Srikant Dwivedi before the previous IO, Gajendra Tyagi, could collect evidence against Azam Khan. He said the crime branch IO instead of gathering proper evidence, conducted a very sloppy investigation and failed to include adequate evidence against Khan.
Moreover, the IO diluted the charges in the case and filed the chargesheet against Azam Khan’s former OSD, Sayyed Afaaq Ahmad, within three months. The IO also issued a notice to the key accused, Sayyed Afaaq Ahmad, who is wanted by the CBI and reportedly residing in Dubai since 2020, to appear before the police to record his statement.
The official stated that the entire process of changing the IO and diluting the charges against the former minister appeared to be part of a well-planned conspiracy to assist him.
