The Bhartiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Rampur lawmaker Akash Saxena has said he would move the Rampur sessions court to seek a life term for Samajwadi Party’s most visible Muslim face Azam Khan.
On October 18, Azam was awarded a seven-year jail term in his son Abdullah Azam’s fake birth certificate case. His wife Tazeen Fatma and son Abdullah, all former lawmakers, were also awarded similar jail terms.
Azam has been kept in Sitapur, his wife is in Rampur and son in Hardoi jail. Khan had alleged that he could even be killed in an encounter.
Saxena, who became the first BJP lawmaker to be elected from Rampur (Sadar), from where Khan had won a record 10 terms before being disqualified and is said to be in line for a berth in Yogi 2.0, said he would move the Rampur sessions court to seek a life term for Khan, who wielded considerable clout in and around Muslim majority Rampur in west UP.
“The point is that the serious charges against him (Azam) have been proven. The Rampur’s ACJM court that awarded him a seven-year term could have only awarded him as much. But the crime for which he has been convicted also provides for a life term and very soon, in consultation with our lawyers, we are going to approach the Rampur sessions court praying for the same,” Saxena said.
{{/usCountry}}“The point is that the serious charges against him (Azam) have been proven. The Rampur’s ACJM court that awarded him a seven-year term could have only awarded him as much. But the crime for which he has been convicted also provides for a life term and very soon, in consultation with our lawyers, we are going to approach the Rampur sessions court praying for the same,” Saxena said.
{{/usCountry}}“Never before has a case of a public representative being involved in such a case has been recorded. The Rampur court in its judgement had mentioned that such an act by a public representative sets a bad example for people,” he said.