ED Raids SP Leader Azam Khan’s Jauhar Trust Over Alleged Diversion of Public Contract Funds

Lucknow / Rampur : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a massive multi-city search operation across 10 locations in Rampur, Saharanpur, and Delhi. The raids targeted premises associated with senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, and the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University. Executed by the ED's Lucknow Zonal Unit under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the crackdown focuses on tracing financial trails involving the alleged diversion of public money into private trust assets.  

The core of the money-laundering inquiry focuses on allegations that funds meant for government contracts were systematically siphoned off through private contractors. Investigators suspect that contractors who secured government development projects routed significant portions of their earnings back to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and the university.

These transfers were masked as large donations or direct funding for ongoing university construction work. Student Disruptions and Campus ConcernsDuring the raid at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, strict security measures caused significant unrest on campus. According to Satnam Singh Mattu, former president of the local Bar Association, several students were turned away or restricted at the university gates. Teams reportedly checked phone details, and students without mobile phones were temporarily barred from entering.

Mattu publicly urged raiding officers to avoid harassing or intimidating students, accusing authorities of intentionally undermining the institution's operations.Focus on Digital Evidence and Financial TrailsCentral security personnel from the CRPF guarded search operations at private residences, university offices, and the premises of affiliated chartered accountants.

Investigators are scrutinizing paper and digital evidence, including:  Bank statements and transactional ledgers connecting private contractors to the trust.  Procurement and construction expenditure logs for campus facilities.Laptops, hard drives, and electronic storage devices seized during raids.

This action follows previous financial inquiries by the Income Tax Department and past audits examining over ₹106 crore in government department allocations tied to university construction.Escalating Regulatory ScrutinyThe ED's action comes amid existing regulatory disputes surrounding the university.

The Rampur Development Authority (RDA) had recently issued demolition notices for 38 out of 40 buildings on campus, alleging construction without approved building plans under the UP Urban Planning and Development Act. Although students held protests and the divisional commissioner subsequently stayed the demolition order, the new ED probe creates additional legal challenges for the institution and Azam Khan, who remains in jail following convictions in separate cases.