Supreme Court Dismisses Azam Khan’s Trust Petition Against State Government’s Order.
The Supreme Court has reprimanded senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for using government land in Rampur for the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust. The court also upheld the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to reclaim the land from the trust. On Tuesday, October 14, 2024, a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, dismissed the trust’s petition challenging the state’s order. The court observed that the records indicated the land was allocated by abusing official authority. Azam Khan, while serving as the Minister of Urban Development and Minority Welfare, had leased the government land to his family trust, in which he holds a lifetime membership.
The bench remarked, “The lease was originally intended for a government institution, yet it was handed over to a private trust.” The court questioned how a lease designated for public use could be transferred to a private entity, highlighting ethical concerns over Azam Khan’s role in the land allotment process.
- Kapil Sibal Argues Notice Should Have Been Given Before Lease Termination.
- Trust’s Purpose Not for Personal Gain, Claims Sibal.
- Azam Khan Faces Multiple Convictions.
Kapil Sibal Argues Notice Should Have Been Given Before Lease Termination.
Representing Azam Khan, senior lawyer Kapil Sibal argued that the trust had not been given notice before the lease was terminated, and the trust should have had the opportunity to respond. The court dismissed this argument, stating that the lack of notice was not a significant issue. CJI Chandrachud told Sibal that the facts of the case were very serious and required no further clarification.
Trust’s Purpose Not for Personal Gain, Claims Sibal.
In response to the CJI’s statement, Sibal defended the trust, asserting that it was not established for personal gain. He explained that the trust provided education for children from disadvantaged and underprivileged backgrounds, charging only Rs 20 in fees. Sibal further argued that the government’s decision to revoke the lease would leave 300 students without a school. However, the bench supported the ruling of the Allahabad High Court and assured that the state’s education department would make necessary arrangements for the displaced students.
Azam Khan Faces Multiple Convictions.
Azam Khan, a prominent SP leader, is currently incarcerated in Sitapur jail, UP, and has been convicted in several cases, including one related to forcible eviction. The Allahabad High Court had previously dismissed the trust’s petition on March 18. The land, used for the Training and Research Institute, had been leased to the institute in 2015. Following an investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the UP government canceled the lease in 2023.
