SP's Azam Khan to be listed on UP's land-mafia portal
The District Administration of Uttar Pradesh's Rampur is considering listing Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan under the "land mafia" category on the state government's Anti-Bhoo Mafia (anti-land mafia) portal set up by CM Yogi Adityanath. According to police, the senior SP leader is facing over 30 cases most of which are related to grabbing of either government land or that of farmers. Here's more.
Khan's name would be recommended to be listed: Rampur SP
Rampur Superintendent of Police, Ajay Pal Sharma, said Khan's name would be recommended to be listed on the anti-land mafia portal for his alleged involvement in cases related to land grabbing. "The District Magistrate and myself would be reviewing reports of various police stations in the district which relate to land grabbed by Azam Khan or his aides," said Sharma, an IPS officer.
FIR filed against Khan for grabbing land from 26 farmers
A case against Khan was registered on Friday on the basis of an FIR filed by Rampur's Revenue Department. The FIR alleged that the SP leader along with his close aide and former police officer, Aalehasan Khan, illegally grabbed land from 26 farmers for his Mohammed Ali Jauhar University. The farmers, who were allegedly tortured to sign forged sale deeds, will file separate FIRs.
Action against Khan is not justified: SP worker
Meanwhile, Khan's supporters said he didn't grab any land and cases against him were filed for talking against the Modi government in the Parliament. "The action against him is not justified. He did not grab any land for his personal use," said an SP worker.
Khan misused position when he was UP Minister: Complaint
The Revenue Department's complaint also alleged that Khan had misused his position, when he was a Cabinet Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012-17, for grabbing the land of farmers and illegally occupying another 5,000-hectare piece of land. According to police sources, several other land-grabbing related complaints against Khan as well as his aides have been received at Rampur SP Sharma's office.
Revenue records were forged, says Revenue Officer
"This (5,000-hectare) land comes under the riverside (of Kosi river) and cannot be acquired. However, revenue records were forged and subsequently this land, worth over several hundred crores, was illegally occupied by Jauhar Ali University," said a Revenue Office.
