The IT conducted searches at multiple premises linked to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in Uttar Pradesh. Teams of IT personnel reached cities including Rampur, Meerut, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur and Sitapur to raid multiple premises linked to the Samajwadi Party leader.

Lucknow: The Income Tax department on Wednesday morning conducted searches at multiple premises linked to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan in Uttar Pradesh. Teams of IT personnel reached cities including Rampur, Meerut, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur and Sitapur to raid multiple premises linked to the Samajwadi Party leader. According to reports, These raids are believed to be related to the Al Jauhar Trust, and income tax officials searched around 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh as part of a tax evasion investigation against Azam Khan.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Income Tax department is conducting searches at multiple premises linked to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan: Sources

Searches are underway in cities including Rampur, Meerut, Lucknow and Ghaziabad.

Visuals from Rampur. pic.twitter.com/gQGetlT3N1

— ANI (@ANI) September 13, 2023

Reportedly, searches were also underway at the house of Samajwadi Party MLA Naseer Ahmad Khan, who is considered close to Azam.

Azam Khan was elected MLA from the Rampur Sadar constituency. The state Assembly Secretariat, earlier in October, announced Khan’s disqualification from the House after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case.

The case was registered against Khan in April 2019 for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during an election meeting.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Khan was booked for making inflammatory speeches while addressing a public meeting in Khatanagaria village of the Milak Kotwali area.

Azam Khan began his political career by winning the 1980 assembly election on Janata Party (Secular) ticket from Rampur. He has served as a minister in both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav governments.