Income Tax dept conducts raids in UP, MP in tax evasion probe against SP leader Azam Khan

In a major development, the Income Tax (IT) department on Wednesday morning launched raids at over 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh as part of a tax evasion probe against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and those linked to him, PTI reported citing official sources.

As per the sources, the searches are being conducted in Rampur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh apart from some premises in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh.

The sources further said that the I-T probe is related to some trusts run by Khan and his family members.

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

It was in April 2019 when the case was registered against him 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.

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

Meanwhile, in May 2022, Allahabad High Court had granted interim bail to Azam Khan in a matter which was related to a wrongful possession of Waqf board property land.

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 as well as Mulayam Singh governments.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)

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