SP Leader Azam Khan Sentenced to Two Years in Prison in 2019 Hate Speech Case
A court in Rampur has sentenced jailed Azam Khan to two years in prison in connection with a 2019 case related to alleged objectionable remarks made during the Lok Sabha election campaign.
Along with the jail term, the court also imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on the senior Samajwadi Party leader.
Khan, who is currently lodged in Rampur jail, appeared before the court through video conferencing on Saturday when the verdict was delivered.
The case relates to remarks allegedly made by Khan against government officials, including the then District Magistrate of Rampur, during an election rally in 2019.
At that time, Aunjaneya Kumar Singh was serving as the District Magistrate of Rampur and is currently the Divisional Commissioner of Moradabad.
Political observers often describe this case as the beginning of a long phase of legal troubles for the veteran SP leader.
Following the controversy in 2019, a large number of cases were registered against him.
Khan, a 10-time MLA from Rampur Sadar and former Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister, has long been considered one of the most influential Muslim faces of the Samajwadi Party.
He has been in jail since November last year after being convicted in another case linked to the alleged use of two PAN cards in a forgery matter.
Confirming the latest judgment, Special Public Prosecutor Rakesh Maurya said the court sentenced Khan to two years of imprisonment and levied a financial penalty of ₹20,000.
He added that the court examined 10 prosecution witnesses during the course of the trial.
According to the prosecution, the court found Khan guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 153-A, which relates to promoting enmity between groups, Section 153-B concerning statements harmful to national integration, and Section 505 dealing with statements that may create hatred or ill will among communities.
The court also convicted him under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act.
Khan’s lawyer, Nasir Sultan, said the legal team would challenge the judgment in a higher court and file an appeal against the conviction.
The alleged remarks were made during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when Khan was contesting from the Rampur parliamentary constituency as the joint candidate of the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance.
According to the prosecution, the FIR was registered on May 11, 2019, at Bhot police station based on a complaint filed by the then Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Rampur, Ghanshyam Tripathi.
The complaint alleged that during a public gathering, Khan referred to government officials as “tankhaiyya” or salaried employees and said people should not fear them.
Prosecutors also alleged that he made controversial remarks about “cleaning shoes” during the speech.
Officials claimed the statement later circulated widely on social media, allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct in force during the election period.
According to Uttar Pradesh Police records, more than 81 cases have been registered against Azam Khan since the BJP government came to power in the state in 2017.
A majority of these cases — nearly 70 — were reportedly filed in 2019 alone, while several more were added in 2020.
The allegations against him include charges such as land grabbing, cheating, criminal trespass, vandalism, hate speech, and intimidation.
With this latest verdict, Khan has now been convicted in eight separate cases — seven in Rampur and one in Moradabad.
However, he has challenged many of these convictions in higher courts, and in some cases, he has received relief after the convictions were stayed or suspended.
Apart from the convictions, Khan has also been acquitted in six other cases.
The Uttar Pradesh government, however, has reportedly challenged some of those acquittals before higher judicial forums.
