SP Leader, Arrested In Ayodhya Gangrape Case, Previously Involved In Rioting, Illegal Land Seizures

After the arrest of Samajwadi Party member, Mohammad Moid Khan, for allegedly raping a minor, authorities are demolishing his illegally seized properties and investigating his assets.

A long history of criminal activities of Samajwadi Party member, Mohammad Moid Khan, was unmasked after he was arrested for allegedly raping a minor in the Ayodhya district of Uttar Pradesh. No action was taken against him earlier because of his political influence in the area, according to India Today.

Moid Khan was arrested and jailed for raping a 12-year-old girl. This action marks the first significant steps taken against him in 12 years.

Following his arrest, authorities have begun demolishing the properties he had reportedly seized. Moid Khan set up his influence over two decades through connections with powerful Samajwadi Party figures, according to India Today's report. He was particularly close to Mohammed Rashid, former chairman of the Bhadrasa Municipal Council, and his influential father, Mohammed Ahmed.

Moid Khan Accused Of Inciting 2012 Riot On Durga Puja Procession

A significant incident in connection to Moid Khan occurred on October 24, 2012. During the Durga Puja procession in Bhadrasa, a communal riot broke out, leading to an attack on the Hindu procession and the murder of Bhola Gupta.

Moid Khan and Mohammed Ahmed were accused of inciting the riot and murder. Although Moid was jailed after an FIR, his influence was so strong that the Bhadrasa police post reportedly operated from his residence, the report stated. It further cited locals as claiming that the police post was not in Moid's house but on a close associate's property.

Leveraging his ties with Mohammed Ahmed, Moid Khan became the Samajwadi Party’s municipal president in 2012, a position he still holds. Under Ahmed's protection, Moid began snatching government and poor people's lands, the report claims.

Moid Khan, who has six children and limited formal education from a madrasa, amassed considerable wealth and influence. A shopping complex housing a private bank, identified for demolition due to illegal occupation of government land, also reportedly belonged to the Samajwadi Party member's relative residing abroad.

After the recent arrest of Moid, several Dalit families have come forward, accusing him of land seizures. The district administration is currently investigating his properties, with suspicions that he has invested his relatives' overseas earnings into various assets. Properties under his and his associates' names are now under investigation.