Ghaziabad: Samajwadi Party senior leader Azam Khan was on Sunday produced before a special court in Ghaziabad amid tight security in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and Jauhar University.
The court remanded Khan to 14 days of judicial custody and ordered that he be sent to jail. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had sought his custody for questioning over alleged financial irregularities and money laundering involving the trust and the university.
ED Seeks Custody For Questioning
Khan was arrested by the ED on Saturday shortly after his release from Rampur jail, where he had been lodged in connection with other cases.
A team of ED officials produced him before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ghaziabad and sought his custody to question him about financial transactions and the affairs of the trust.
Security Tightened Around Court Premises
Khan's appearance triggered a gathering of supporters and local residents around the court premises. Police personnel were deployed in strength to maintain law and order, while security was tightened across the court complex in view of the sensitivity of the case.
However, on Saturday evening, Azam Khan was taken into custody by a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moments after he walked out of Rampur district jail following his release in the two PAN cards case. His son Abdullah Azam, who was also granted bail in the case, was released from prison.
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Supporters Protest Following ED Arrest
The dramatic development triggered protests by Samajwadi Party workers and Azam Khan's supporters, who had gathered outside the jail since the afternoon in anticipation of his release.
Azam Khan, who was visibly upset, questioned the circumstances surrounding his detention. "What is left to say now? What should I say? The rule of law has ceased to exist. Is this the punishment for being a Muslim? Our mistake was that a Muslim established a university. We built schools for children. Is that our crime?" he said.
