After 3-Day Raid, I-T Sleuths Suspect Azam Khan To Have Evaded Rs 800 Crore

The IT Department suspected tax evasion of more than Rs 800 crore by Azam Khan after it carried out raids on him and and his associates.

The Income Tax Department suspected tax evasion of more than Rs 800 crore by senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan after it carried out raids on him and and his associates for three days, news agency PTI reported, citing official sources. Income tax sleuths reached Khan's residence on Jail Road in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, and the search concluded on Friday evening.

After the officials left his residence on Friday, Khan said, "It was a raid of I-T department. They stayed here for three days. They conducted searches and asked questions," as reported by PTI. The SP leader refused to answer further questions.

IT Department Raided Several Premises In UP And MP As Part Of Tax Evasion Probe Against Khan

On September 13, the Income Tax department conducted raids at more than 30 premises in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh as part of a tax evasion probe against Khan. The department conducted raids in Rampur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Ghaziabad and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh apart from some premises in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, PTI reported citing official sources

In Ghaziabad, the Income Tax department raided a residence in Rajnagar Colony on Wednesday. The house belongs to Ekta Kaushik, said to be close to Khan's family.

According to PTI, the I-T probe is pertaining to some trusts run by Khan and his family members.

The scope of investigation by the I-T department intensified with sleuths reaching the Public Works Department and district panchayat office besides Muhammad Ali Jauhar University headed by Khan, the officials said. They said the government expenditure files are being scrutinized as over Rs 800 crore tax evasion was suspected by the politician.

'Misusing Central Agencies': Samajwadi Party On IT Raids On Azam Khan

Following the raids the Samajwadi Party extended support to Khan and accused the BJP government of "dictatorship" and "misusing central agencies". "Azam Khan saheb is the voice of truth. He laid the foundation for a better future for children and built a university for education,” the party said in a post on X in Hindi following the raids on Wednesday. “Khan has always fought against communal forces. We all stand united with his voice,” it said.

Countering the allegations about misuse of central agencies, BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had said the central agencies were well within their rights to take action to make “Bharat corruption-free”.

Last year, a court had convicted Khan in a hate speech case registered over his remark made at a public meeting in Khatanagaria village of the Milak Kotwali area in 2019. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, following which he was disqualified as an MLA from Rampur. Later, he was acquitted by a higher court, but his disqualification was not revoked on account of his conviction in a different case.