The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches at premises linked to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and the University of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. The searches are part of a money laundering investigation registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with around 10 locations being searched across Rampur and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, as well as Delhi.

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The Lucknow-based Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust has Azam Khan, a former Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister, as its principal trustee. Several of his family members and associates are also associated with the trust.

The trust operates the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University and a public school in Rampur district.

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The investigation is focused on alleged irregularities involving funds from government contracts. It is alleged that government funds were diverted through certain private contractors and subsequently used to create assets in the name of the university or the trust.

The probe has also indicated financial transactions between the contractors and the trust. Contractors who benefited from government projects allegedly channelled money into the trust and university in the form of donations and construction work.

The searches are being conducted to trace the alleged proceeds of wrongdoing, along with financial records, documents and digital evidence that could establish how and where government funds were allegedly diverted and used.

Meanwhile, the Rampur Development Authority had issued a notice to the management of Jauhar University, declaring 38 of its 40 buildings to be in violation of prescribed norms and directing that they be demolished.

The notice, issued by the authority on July 15, triggered concern on the university campus. The management described the action as one-sided and said it would approach the court.

The university management has maintained that all the buildings were constructed after obtaining approval of the relevant building plans. It has also argued that the area was not within the jurisdiction of the development authority when the university was constructed.