Azam Khan and Jauhar Trust corruption investigation

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an investigation into Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust regarding the alleged misuse of government funds. Investigators identified a significant financial discrepancy, noting that while university construction costs were estimated at approximately ₹494.46 crore, income tax returns reported only ₹78.32 crore in capital expenditure between 2013 and 2025.

Allegations include the diversion of approximately ₹85.81 crore worth of government-allocated construction materials to the private university for facilities such as a hospital and hostels. The probe also examines potential fraud, criminal conspiracy, and corruption.

Following these investigations, the ED attached the land and buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The attached property, held by the Trust, has an estimated market value of approximately Rs 1,170 crore. The agency further cited reports of illegal occupation of agricultural land and roughly 34 acres of enemy property.

Recent developments specify that the provisional attachment includes 59 buildings with a book value of approximately Rs 426.46 crore. The ED alleges that the university was developed using misappropriated public resources and that only Rs 72.63 crore of total construction costs could be accounted for through legitimate sources. Furthermore, investigators are examining claims that contractors from the Public Works Department routed 30–40% of contract values back to the trust as donations, alongside the alleged misuse of local area development funds to benefit the private campus.