Allahabad High Court Grants Bail to SP Veteran Azam Khan in Quality Bar Land Allotment Case
By Rajesh Pandey:
In a major legal relief for senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted him bail in a criminal case related to the alleged fraudulent allotment of the Quality Bar property in Rampur district.
The case revolved around charges that Azam Khan and his family members had illegally secured the allotment of a state-owned property in Rampur through questionable means. The bail order was delivered by Justice Samir Jain, who had earlier reserved judgment on August 21, 2025, after hearing arguments from both sides.
The Final Barrier to Freedom
According to Azam Khan’s counsel, Imran Ulla, this latest order effectively clears the way for the veteran SP leader to walk free from jail, as it was the last pending criminal case against him in which bail was required. Over the years, Azam Khan had been embroiled in multiple cases—often politically sensitive in nature—making his release a prolonged legal battle.
Background of the Case
The origins of the case date back to 2014, when the controversial allotment of a plot of land belonging to the Quality Bar in Said Nagar, Hardoi Patti, located along the Rampur highway, first came into question.
The property was under the administration of the district magistrate, but was allegedly rented out illegally. The monthly bid of just ₹1,200 submitted in the names of Azam’s wife, Tazeen Fatima, and son, Abdullah Azam Khan (a former MLA), was accepted, and the property was subsequently allotted to them.
In 2019, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police against Tazeen Fatima, Abdullah Azam, and District Cooperative Union chairman Syed Jafar Ali Jafri. Interestingly, Azam Khan himself was not named in the FIR initially. However, after a reinvestigation five years later, he was included as an accused in the matter.
The prosecution alleged that the allotment was fraudulent and in violation of norms, as the property was government-owned and should not have been leased out in this manner.
Legal Journey and Defense Arguments
Earlier in the proceedings, the Allahabad High Court had already granted bail to both Tazeen Fatima and Abdullah Azam Khan in the same case, while Azam continued to face trial.
During the hearings, his counsel, Imran Ulla, raised two strong defenses:
- Undue Delay in FIR: He argued that while the alleged irregularities occurred in 2014, the FIR was not filed until 2019—raising serious doubts about the credibility and timing of the charges.
- Question of Reinvestigation: The defense contended that reinvestigating and implicating Azam Khan five years after the FIR was both unjust and procedurally improper, making the case against him untenable.
After considering the arguments and examining the facts, Justice Samir Jain granted bail to Azam Khan, noting that his continued custody was no longer justified.
Political and Legal Significance
For Azam Khan, who has often found himself at the center of political and legal controversies in Uttar Pradesh, this order represents a turning point. His long spell of incarceration, marked by multiple cases ranging from land disputes to corruption charges, has been a subject of national debate, with his supporters alleging political vendetta.
Now, with bail granted in the last remaining case, the veteran SP leader may finally walk free, potentially reshaping the political landscape in Rampur and beyond as the state gears up for future elections.
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