Sitapur/ Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) founding member and senior leader Azam Khan was released from Sitapur jail on Tuesday afternoon, bringing an end to nearly two years of incarceration. His release followed bail granted by the Allahabad High Court in the Quality Bar land encroachment case in Rampur, where his name had been included during a reinvestigation years after the initial complaint.
Dressed in his trademark white kurta-pyjama, black waistcoat, and tinted glasses, the 77-year-old left the prison premises in a private vehicle, accompanied by his sons Adeeb and Abdullah.
A large gathering of supporters and party workers had assembled since morning to greet him, though prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were in place. The police reported traffic congestion and challaned several vehicles as crowds pushed towards the jail.
Speaking briefly while on his way to Rampur via Bareilly, Khan thanked his well-wishers. “I thank all those who prayed for me,” he told reporters, but refrained from declaring whether he believed justice had been served. “I can’t say that”, he remarked.
Rejecting speculation that he might align with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Khan said, “Ask those who are making such claims,” dismissing talk of a political switch.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav hailed Khan’s release, calling it a significant moment for the party. “Azam Khan is not only a founder member of the Samajwadi Party, he has also played a vital role in the socialist movement of the country. Today is a moment of great joy… he has finally got justice,” Yadav said in Lucknow.
The former chief minister alleged that hundreds of “fabricated cases” had been registered against Khan. He pledged that if the SP came to power, all such cases against Khan and other leaders would be withdrawn. “Even journalists who have been targeted with fabricated cases will get relief,” Yadav said, further alleging that the current government had dropped cases against its own leaders. “Just like they withdrew their own cases, we will do the same for those who were falsely implicated,” he added.
Shivpal Singh Yadav, SP’s national general secretary, also brushed aside rumours of Khan defecting to the BSP. “There is no question of Azam Khan sahab joining any other party. He has been and will always remain with the Samajwadi Party. The party and its leadership have always stood by him,” he said, adding that he planned to meet Khan soon.
From the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), reactions were quick to follow. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said Khan’s political choices would make little difference. “Whether Khan stays in the SP or joins the BSP, the defeat of both parties is certain in 2027,” he wrote on X.
Akash Saxena, BJP’s MLA from Rampur who has filed multiple cases against Khan, reiterated his stance. “We have always accorded the highest respect to the judiciary. Whether Azam Khan sahab remains in the SP or sides with the BSP, our fight against injustice will continue unabated,” he said.
Khan’s release came days after Justice Samir Jain of the Allahabad High Court reserved his order on August 21 in the Quality Bar case, where Khan’s counsel argued there had been an undue delay in filing charges, as the alleged encroachment dated back to 2013. The FIR was revisited nearly five years later, leading to Khan’s name being added.
with agency inputs