Case filed against Azam Khan over 'forcible land acquisition'

A case has been filed in the Revenue Board of the Uttar Pradesh government against former Cabinet Minister and senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mohd. Azam Khan for forcing Dalits to sign registry papers of a land for the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, his constituency, an official said on Thursday.

The case was filed by the District Magistrate of Rampur.

The action is a follow-up of a complaint filed with the Chief Minister's Office by Akaash Kumar Saxena, president of the Rampur unit of the Indian Industries Association. He is son of four-time BJP legislator and two time Minister in the state Shiv Bahadur Saxena.

Akaash Kumar has alleged in his complaint that the then powerful Cabinet Minister and local legislator Azam Khan arm-twisted many Dalits in the area into sign off their land (100 acres) in favour of the Maulana Jauhar Ali Trust. The revenue officials were also accomplices in this bungling, Saxena alleged.

He further alleged a gross violation of the UP Zamindari Abolition and Land System Act 1950.

After the complaint was sent from the CM's office to the Divisional Commissioner, a probe was ordered but the DM Rampur evaded the probe.

The allegations of illegal land transfer from Dalits to the Maulana Jauhar Ali Trust have been proved in Shaukatnagar, Singankheda areas of Sadar tehsil, the official said. Besides, permission of the District Magistrate at that time was also not sought, though it was mandatory and many papers and relevant files have now gone missing.

According to Mahendra Bahadur Singh, the Rampur District Magistrate, the matter was many years old and a probe had been ordered by the Divisional Commissioner recently and based on the findings a case has been filed in the Revenue Board.

--IANS

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