Lucknow : After 23 months long incarceration in Sitapur jail, Abdullah Azam, son of senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan, was released on bail on Saturday evening.
Azam’s younger son Abdullah along with his father was made accused in as many as 43 criminal cases, that includes thefts, extortion and forgery as well. Since the lower courts had granted bail in all of these cases in Rampur, he was released following bail order.
After the release Abdullah Azam told media that “the defeat of the BJP in upcoming assembly elections is eminent and oppression will end after March 10 and the oppressor will also be de-throned”.
The Rampur MP’s son was received by huge supporters outside Sitapur jail on Saturday evening. As soon as the leaders of many districts including Rampur, Sambhal, Moradabad got the information about Abdullah’s release from jail, SP leaders, workers of many districts of western UP started coming to Sitapur Jail Gate. If sources are to be believed, the SP district presidents of many districts had also come. From Rampur, Sambhal, Moradabad, Badaun, Shahjahanpur to Hardoi, some SP leaders are also being talked about coming. Sources say that no big leader of the party had come.
It may be remembered that Azam’s wife Tazeen Fatima, who is also a co-accused in similar cases, was released from Sitapur jail in December 2020 last year. Meanwhile, Azam Khan, who has more than 70 cases lodged against him on similar charges, is still confined in the jail.
Abdullah won from Swar constituency on SP ticket in 2017 assembly election, later the Allahabad high court in 2019 annulled his election as an Uttar Pradesh MLA on the ground that he was underage and not qualified to fight the poll in 2017.
Azam Khan booked in more than 70 cases and most of the cases pertained to encroachment of land that was usurped in the construction of the Jauhar University, of which Azam Khan is chairman. Azam Khan was also accused of stealing old books from a government school and keeping them in his library.