Rampur/Lucknow, Oct 14 The Enforcement Directorate has got a fresh FIR registered against jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and his educational trust for allegedly diverting crores of government funds for constructing his University and linked financial “irregularities”, official sources said on Wednesday.
The FIR was registered in Rampur on Tuesday naming Khan, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, two private entities and others by the Uttar Pradesh police under Section 61 (criminal conspiracy), 316(5) (criminal breach of trust), 318(4) (cheating) of the BNS and various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
There are more than 25 police FIRs registered against Khan and those linked to him.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is understood to have decided to bring together all FIRs against Khan and those linked to him for a “comprehensive” action against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
It is in this continuation that its Lucknow zonal office sent an email to the Uttar Pradesh DGP, under Section 66(2) of the PMLA, on October 10, sharing “evidence” and information gathered by it against the SP politician and seeking a fresh FIR against them.
Sources told PTI that the fresh FIR by the Rampur Police will be added to the existing Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) of the ED, which was filed against Khan and those linked to him in 2019.
The ED had carried out raids in this case in August and also questioned Khan in the Rampur jail on Tuesday.
The Lucknow-headquartered Trust has Khan, a former Uttar Pradesh minister, as its main trustee along with some family members and associates.
It runs the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University, founded in 2006, and a public school, both in the Rampur district.
The ED has said in its communication to the police, which is also part of the latest FIR, that the acts of Khan, Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, contractors and other persons, such as obtaining government contracts “through official influence”, “diverting” funds meant for public works to the University, executing works from public funds on the private premises of the University, and routing back the funds to the Trust constitute an offence under the PMLA.
The central agency told the police that according to an Income Tax Department valuation report of November 2023, the cost of construction of the buildings on the University campus was Rs 494.46 crore, but as per the Income Tax Returns (ITRs) of the Trust for the years 2013-14 to 2024-25, the Trust has shown total capital expenditure of only Rs 78.32 crore.
Thus, construction worth about Rs 416.14 crore is not explained by the declared income and expenditure of the Trust, the ED alleged.
(PTI News)
