SP Leader Azam Khan Gets Bail In Land Grab Case After 23 Months in Jail

September 18, 2025

Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted bail to Samajwadi Party stalwart and former cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan in the Rampur Quality Bar land grab case, paving the way for his release from Sitapur Jail where he has been lodged since 2023.

Court Order and Case Background

The order was delivered by a single-judge bench of Justice Sameer Jain, which had reserved its verdict on August 21. Earlier, Khan’s bail plea had been rejected by the Rampur MP-MLA Court in May.

The case, registered in 2019, pertains to the alleged fraudulent allotment of Rampur’s Quality Bar property in Saeed Nagar. Complainant Gagan Arora alleged that Khan, during his tenure as a cabinet minister in Akhilesh Yadav’s government, attempted to take over the property by influencing the tender process.

Legal Arguments in Defence

Khan’s legal team, comprising senior advocates including Imran Ullah and Vineet Vikram, argued that the charges were based on alleged irregularities dating back to 2013–14. They stressed that Khan was added as an accused nearly a decade later, in 2024, and that the tender process followed due legal procedures.

Other Cases and Jail Term

The 76-year-old leader faces over 89 cases, most filed between 2017 and 2019. In October 2023, he was convicted in a fake birth certificate case and shifted to Sitapur Jail for security reasons, though the High Court later stayed the sentence.

Earlier this week, a Rampur court acquitted him in a 17-year-old case involving a road blockade and damage to public property.

Political Relevance

Despite prolonged incarceration and frail health, Azam Khan remains a formidable figure in Rampur politics. A close aide of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, he continues to enjoy strong support in the party. Even from jail, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav retained him as national general secretary, underlining his enduring clout.