The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken major action against senior Samajwadi Party leader and former minister Azam Khan's Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh. As part of the money laundering investigation, ED's Lucknow zone has temporarily attached the university's properties worth Rs 426.46 crore. This includes land and buildings. The current market value of the attached properties is said to be around Rs 1,170 crore. This action may increase problems in the case related to Azam Khan and Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust.
ED's investigation has revealed many issues related to the expenditure on the construction of the university, ownership of land and use of government funds. According to the investigating agency, the assessment report of the Income Tax Department had pegged the cost of construction of the university campus buildings at Rs 494.46 crore, while the trust showed a capital expenditure of Rs 78.32 crore in its income tax returns during the financial year 2013-14 to 2024-25. There is a difference of Rs 416.14 crore between the two figures. ED is investigating this difference and the source of funds used in the construction.
case of donations from contractors
The investigation has also examined financial transactions between the contractors who won government contracts and the Jauhar Trust. According to the ED, a contractor who won government contracts worth about Rs 186 crore said in a statement that 30 to 40 percent of the contract amount was used to purchase materials for the construction of the university. The investigating agency has estimated the value of the construction material related to this to be around Rs 55.8 crore. Apart from this, it has also come to light that another contractor has donated Rs 40 lakh to the Trust. The agency is investigating the source and use of these transactions.
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Expenses from MLA fund also
According to the ED investigation, Rs 6.60 crore was also spent from the MLA and Legislative Council Member Local Area Development Fund on the university campus. With this money, various construction works were done through Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam. At that time Azam Khan was the Chairman of Jal Nigam. Besides this, the state government had sanctioned a total of Rs 23.41 crore for the construction of a pandal, OBC boys' hostel and hospital block on the university campus. ED is investigating whether the prescribed rules and conditions were followed in these works done in private premises with public money or not.
Question on ownership of the pandal
The investigation has also revealed the issue of ownership of the pandal built with government money in the university campus. In the year 2015, the state government had sanctioned Rs 12.16 crore for the construction of the pandal. The condition at that time was that the ownership of the pandal would remain with the Culture Department and it would be made available free of cost for the use of the government. It was not allowed to be sold or transferred. It is alleged that through another government order issued in the year 2016, the conditions were changed and the ownership of the pandal was given to Johar University. At that time Azam Khan was a cabinet minister in the state government and had the charge of the Urban Development Department.
34 acres enemy property case
In the investigation of the land dispute related to Jauhar University, a case of illegal occupation of about 34 acres of enemy property in Sinhankheda village of Rampur also came to light. Enemy property is property which is under the protection of the government under legal provisions. According to information related to the investigation, with the help of the administration, the custodian of the enemy property had re-taken possession of the concerned land. Matters related to land ownership and construction of the university are also being investigated.
Investigation started from 26 FIR
Investigation into the cases related to Azam Khan and Johar University is already going on. On the basis of 26 FIRs registered in Azimnagar police station of Rampur, ED had started investigation into aspects of money laundering. In these cases, it was alleged that land was forcibly taken from farmers for the construction of the university and financial irregularities took place. During the investigation, ED shared information related to alleged misuse of government funds with Uttar Pradesh Police. After this, on October 13, a case was registered against Azam Khan, Johar Trust and others at Azimnagar police station under sections of the Indian Justice Code and Prevention of Corruption Act. Earlier, the ED team had also interrogated Azam Khan in Rampur jail.
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keeping an eye on further action
After temporarily attaching properties worth Rs 426.46 crore of Jauhar University, the ED is examining evidence related to land, buildings and financial transactions. The agency is busy linking the use of government funds, payments to contractors, donations received by the trust and expenditure on construction. The market value of the properties is said to be around Rs 1,170 crore. At present this action is part of the investigation into money laundering. The final confirmation of the charges will be subject to the judicial process and further action in the case will be taken based on the findings of the investigation and available evidence.