Fresh case adds to Azam’s concerns; ₹2.09-cr Haj land loss alleged: A practical reader guide

Fresh case adds to Azam's concerns; ₹2.09-cr Haj land loss alleged: A practical reader guide

Jailed Samajwadi Party veteran leader Mohammad Azam Khan is facing fresh legal trouble after the Uttar Pradesh Vigilance Establishment registered a case over the alleged sale of a 60,000-square-foot Uttar Pradesh State Haj Committee plot in Lucknow, causing an estimated ₹ 2.09-crore loss to the committee.

The case follows a government-directed inquiry into the sale of the committee’s land at Wazirbagh. The accused have been booked under provisions relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy, besides sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act dealing with bribery and criminal misconduct. The Haj Committee case marks a fresh line of investigation, focusing on an alleged financial loss to a government-linked institution and misuse of official position. The allegations in the new FIR are yet to be tested in court, and the registration of the case does not establish guilt.

A senior vigilance official said the FIR, registered by the Lucknow sector on September 8, names Azam Khan, former Haj Committee secretary Laik Ahmed, former secretary Dr MA Khan and two representatives of a private property firm—Mohammad Ayub and Muntazim Ahmed. The FIR alleges that the officials abused their positions and acted in concert with the private firm’s representatives, causing a calculated loss of ₹ 2,08,95,000 to the Haj Committee. A detailed inquiry report was submitted to the state government on February 8, 2026, following which the Vigilance Establishment registered the criminal case.

The property had been acquired for constructing a Haj House, but was subsequently sold in alleged violation of prescribed rules and conditions, according to the FIR.