Azam Khan and Jauhar Trust booked over alleged misuse of government funds

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a fresh FIR against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust regarding the alleged diversion of government funds to Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.

Investigators are probing a significant financial discrepancy. While construction expenditures at the university are estimated at approximately ₹494.46 crore, the Trust’s income tax returns reported capital expenditure of only ₹78.32 crore between 2013 and 2025. The ED claims this leaves a discrepancy of roughly ₹416.14 crore.

Additional allegations suggest that construction materials worth approximately ₹85.81 crore, originally allocated for government purposes during Khan’s tenure as a minister, were diverted to the private university campus for facilities such as hostels and a hospital.

An ED team recently questioned Azam Khan inside Rampur district jail for several hours to verify statements from contractors, accountants, and other officials, including Samajwadi Party MLA Nasir Ahmed Khan. The investigation covers potential fraud, criminal conspiracy, and corruption under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Corruption Act.