A Special MP-MLA court here on Monday dealt a major blow to Samajwadi Party leader Mohamnad Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam, sentencing them to seven-year jail term in the fake PAN card case.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each on them. Following the verdict, police detained Azam Khan and Abdullah in the courtroom.
Special Judge Shobhit Bansal delivered the verdict after reviewing documentary evidence, bank records, and the testimony of income tax officials.
The court verdict is one of the 104 cases filed against Azam Khan. So far, the court has delivered verdicts in 12 cases. Azam Khan has been convicted in seven of these cases and acquitted in five.
Azam Khan was released from the Sitapur jail on September 23 two months ago while his son was released from Hardoi jail nine months ago. Now, both have been sent back to the Rampur jail.
The fake PAN card case dates back to 2019. Rampur BJP leader Akash Saxena filed a case against the two at the Civil Lines police station. He alleged that Azam had obtained two PAN cards based on two different birth certificates to enable his son Abdullah to contest the elections.
Based on his original date of birth, January 1, 1993, Abdullah was ineligible to contest the 2017 elections. He had not yet attained the age of 25. Therefore, Azam obtained a second PAN card, showing his birth year as 1990.
BJP MLA Akash Saxena, who was present in the court when the verdict was delivered, told media persons that
“I consider this a victory of truth. All the cases against Azam are based on paper evidence. There is no case without evidence against him. That is why the court sentenced him. Whoever has done wrong will be punished.”
Azam and Abdullah have been sentenced to seven years in prison under Section 467. They also received one year in prison under Sections 120B, three years each under Sections 468 and 420. The court also sentenced them to two years in prison under Section 471.
Azam’s lawyer appealed for the case to be dismissed, calling the allegations of fake PAN cards baseless. The court ruled that the trial was already underway in a local court, and interference was inappropriate. Therefore, the petition was dismissed. Azam later appealed to the Supreme Court, but received no relief there either.