Fraud case: Charge sheet filed against SP leader Azam Khan, wife, son Abdullah in Rampur

SP leader`s wife Dr Tanzeen Fathima was physically present at the hearing, while Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam Khan were present through video conference.

Rampur: In an alleged case of forging birth certificate, a charge sheet has been filed against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, his wife Dr Tanzeen Fathima and son Abdullah Azam Khan in Uttar Pradesh`s Rampur district on Wednesday. Notably, an investigation into the matter is still underway.

"Abdullah Azam Khan contested Vidhan Sabha elections with the help of one of these birth certificates," District Government Counsel (Crime) Arun Prakash Saxena told ANI. He further said that Dr Tanzeen Fathima was physically present at the hearing, while Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam Khan were present through video conference. 

Saxena further said, "It was revealed during the inquiry that he was not of 25 years at the time of elections. They were presented in court. Charge-sheet has been filed against three accused including Abdullah Azam Khan in this matter." 

"Rampur police had already submitted two charge-sheets against the three under sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120b (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," the official added.

According to the District Government Counsel, Dr Tanzeen Fathima was physically present at the hearing, while Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam Khan were present through video conference. 

Earlier on August 10, the Supreme Court had granted bail to Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Khan in the alleged birth certificates forgery case. Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Khan are accused of forging the latter`s age on his educational certificates for him to participate in the 2017 elections.

Abdullah Azam Khan, who was elected as an MLA from Suar seat from Rampur in 2017 Assembly election, was disqualified from the membership of the State Legislative Assembly for being less than 25 years of age as on the date of the election, in December 2019.

The Allahabad High Court also found Abdullah guilty for submitting a forged birth certificate to the election body to contest elections. The first birth certificate, which recorded his date of birth as January 1, 1993, was allegedly used for making passports, etc and was misused in foreign travel.

The complainant further alleged that the second birth certificate, which recorded his date of birth as September 30, 1990, was "misused" in government documents for contesting election to UP Legislative Assembly and in different recognitions given to Jauhar University.

(With Agency Inputs)