On Saturday (May 16), A special MP-MLA court in Rampur sentenced the 77-year-old Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan to 2 years in jail in a hate speech case linked to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The case relates to a controversial speech Azam Khan delivered during the election campaign when he contested from Rampur as the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance candidate.
According to the prosecution, Khan made inflammatory remarks against government officials during a public rally. In a video that surfaced during the campaign, he said people should not fear the “collector-flector” and referred to government officers as salaried employees.
He also claimed that senior officers once cleaned shoes for BSP chief Mayawati and said he would make officials do the same if “Allah wished.”
The remarks triggered strong criticism and led to legal action.
FIR Filed After District Administration Took Notice
At the time of the speech, Anjaneya Kumar Singh served as the District Magistrate of Rampur. He now works as the Commissioner of Moradabad division. Following his directions, then Tanda SDM Ghanshyam Tripathi filed an FIR against Azam Khan at Bhot police station.
The case remained in court for nearly six years before the MP-MLA court delivered its verdict.
Azam Khan attended the hearing through video conferencing from Rampur jail, where he remains lodged. The court announced the sentence on Saturday afternoon.
Azam Khan and Son Already in Jail
Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam already serve jail terms in another criminal case. A court recently sentenced both to 7 years in prison in a fake PAN card case. Because of this conviction, both remain in Rampur jail.
A screenshot circulating in media reports on Azam Khan’s legal record claims that 104 cases stand registered against him, with 93 cases reported from Rampur and 11 linked to land disputes. It also states that courts have delivered judgments in 11 cases so far. The graphic further shows 4 major convictions against Khan, including cases involving a fake birth certificate, illegal occupation in Dungarpur, hate speech, and a fake PAN card matter.
Long Legal Troubles Continue
Azam Khan’s legal problems have grown steadily over the past few years. In 2022, another court convicted him in a separate hate speech case and sentenced him to three years in jail. However, a higher court later acquitted him in 2023.
Last year, Khan briefly walked out of jail after securing bail. Reports say he spent about 55 days outside prison after remaining behind bars for nearly 23 months. However, authorities sent him back to jail after another conviction in the fake PAN card case involving his son Abdullah Azam.
Abdullah Azam’s Age Controversy Added to Family’s Problems
The legal problem of the Khan family deepened because of allegations linked to Abdullah Azam’s age and eligibility to contest elections.
During the 2017 UP Assembly elections, Abdullah contested from the Suar assembly seat. However, opponents questioned his age and claimed he had not reached the minimum age requirement of 25 years to contest elections.
Investigators later examined documents related to his birth date. Authorities alleged that fake documents helped show Abdullah older than his actual age. The controversy eventually led to cases involving an alleged fake birth certificate, PAN card, and passport-related irregularities.
Later, Abdullah’s election from Suar came under challenge. Authorities eventually cancelled his membership after legal proceedings.
Despite these controversies, Abdullah returned to electoral politics and won again from Suar in the 2022 Assembly elections. However, another conviction in a separate case later resulted in the cancellation of his membership once again.
These cases show how fraudulent the Azam family is and has always used its power and poison to create problems in society. Azam Khan repeatedly used hate speech to incite people for electoral gain.
