The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday granted bail to senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in a case relating to the alleged forceful eviction of residents from Rampur’s Dungarpur colony.
Justice Sameer Jain allowed the bail in an appeal filed by Khan challenging his conviction and 10-year sentence imposed by an MP/MLA court in Rampur.
The high court had earlier reserved its verdict on the bail pleas filed by Khan and co-accused contractor Barkat Ali, who was sentenced to seven years in prison.
On May 30, 2023, the Rampur MP/MLA court sentenced Khan to 10 years’ imprisonment, prompting him to move the high court. Ali also appealed against his conviction.
The case was registered in August 2019 at Rampur’s Ganj police station on the basis of a complaint by one Abrar, who alleged that in December 2016, Khan, along with retired circle officer Ale Hasan Khan and Ali, assaulted him and demolished property after threatening his life.
The controversy extends beyond Abrar’s complaint. Residents of Dungarpur colony filed 12 cases connected to the alleged forced eviction. The charges included serious offences such as robbery, theft, and assault.
While the high court has granted bail, the appeals against conviction remain pending. The matter is likely to come up for further hearing in due course.
