SP leader Azam Khan released from Sitapur district jail, day after SC grants bail

|HT|

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan was released from the Sitapur district jail in Uttar Pradesh on Friday morning, a day after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in a cheating case relating to Kotwali police station in Rampur. Azam Khan was lodged in jail for over two years in connection with several cases, including that of land grabbing. He was granted bail in 88 out of 89 cases and the grant of the interim bail by the Supreme Court paved the way for his release.

A prison official said that the release order was received around 11pm on Thursday and the SP leader was released around 8 am on Friday after following all procedures. Khan, upon his release, was welcomed by his sons Abdullah Azam Khan and Adeeb Azam Khan, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) leader Shivpal Singh Yadav and a large number of supporters.

"The Supreme Court gave justice," said Abdullah Azam Khan, MLA from Suar constituency, ahead of his father's release from Sitapur district jail.

"I am very happy (with Supreme Court's order). We will go to Rampur directly (after the release)," Adeeb Azam Khan said. On Thursday, a bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao granted Khan interim bail in the alleged cheating case, saying it is a fit case to invoke its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution as facts in the present case are very peculiar.

"The petitioner is directed to be released on interim bail in respect of FIR being Case Crime No.70 of 2020, registered with Police Station Kotwali, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh for the offences punishable under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code on such terms and conditions as found appropriate by the trial court," Rao said.

The bench noted that "in ordinary circumstances, we would not have entertained the present writ petition. The petitioner would have been directed to take recourse to the remedy available to him in law. However, the facts in the present case are very peculiar."

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