Income tax department raids over 30 premises linked to Azam Khan in tax evasion probe

Around 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were searched by income tax officials as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion by Azam Khan. Azam Khan, a former Cabinet minister, heads the Al Jauhar Trust.

The Income Tax Department conducted raids on several premises connected to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Wednesday. These raids are currently underway in various locations including Lucknow, Rampur, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, and Sitapur. The focus of these IT raids is reported to be the Al Jauhar Trust.

Around 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh were searched by income tax officials as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion by Azam Khan. Azam Khan, a former Cabinet minister, heads the Al Jauhar Trust.

Earlier this year, the UP government canceled the lease for a 3.24-acre plot in Rampur, which had been given to the Trust for the establishment of a research institute. The lease, signed in 2013-14 for a nominal fee of Rs 100 per year for over 30 years, was canceled due to allegations of irregularities, and the research institute was never constructed.

Since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Azam Khan has faced numerous charges, including land-grabbing, cheating, and criminal trespass, resulting in the registration of 81 cases against him in Rampur.

His wife and son have also been booked in some of these cases, and all three are currently out on bail. In July, Azam Khan was sentenced to two years in prison in a hate speech case linked to the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, marking his conviction in three separate cases.