Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammad Azam Khan was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ghaziabad on Sunday in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and the Jauhar Trust.
The court's order came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought 14 days of custody for questioning Khan over alleged money laundering and financial irregularities involving the university and the trust. Khan's lawyers opposed the agency's remand plea during the hearing.
Khan was brought before the special court on Sunday, a day after the ED took him into custody shortly after his release from Rampur jail. He had walked out of jail on Saturday evening after securing bail from the Allahabad High Court in the two PAN cards case.
During his court appearance, security arrangements were tightened on the premises amid a heavy media presence. When reporters asked Khan whether he had anything to say, he responded, "What is there to say?"
Following the court's order, Khan is likely to be shifted to Ghaziabad's Dasna jail. Jail Superintendent Sitaram Sharma had earlier said that the same rules apply to all first-time inmates, irrespective of whether they arrive on a Sunday or a regular working day. He clarified that new inmates are initially allotted a general barrack in accordance with prison procedures.
The ED is investigating alleged financial irregularities in the construction of Jauhar University, the purchase of land for the institution and the sources of funds used for these activities. The agency has alleged that government funds worth crores of rupees were misused. It had obtained a warrant from the Ghaziabad court before taking Khan into custody.
Jail Superintendent Sitaram Sharma said that the same rules apply to all first-time inmates, irrespective of whether they arrive on a Sunday or a regular working day. He clarified that new inmates are initially allotted a general barrack in accordance with prison procedures.
The ED is investigating the alleged financial irregularities in the construction of Jauhar University, the purchase of land for the institution and the sources of funds used for these activities. The agency has alleged that government funds worth crores of rupees were misused. It had obtained a warrant from the Ghaziabad court before taking Khan into custody.
