ED Arrests Azam Khan in Money Laundering Case Linked to Jauhar University; Sent to 14-Day Judicial Custody

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Lucknow, has arrested senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan, founder of the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and Chancellor of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, Rampur, in a money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Khan was arrested on October 31, 2026, shortly after being released from Rampur jail on bail in a separate dual PAN card case. On November 1, a Special PMLA Court in Ghaziabad remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody. He is to be lodged at Dasna District Jail.

The ED's investigation concerns alleged financial irregularities linked to the Jauhar University project. The agency has alleged that government funds meant for public works were diverted towards the construction of the private university.

The probe reportedly stems from multiple FIRs registered by Uttar Pradesh Police against Khan and his alleged associates. The ED has also attached university land and buildings, citing alleged proceeds of crime.

The agency's allegations are under investigation and do not, by themselves, establish guilt.

Khan has faced several legal proceedings in recent years and has previously described the cases against him as politically motivated. His arrest immediately after his release from jail has triggered political reactions.

The latest judicial custody order marks another development in the ongoing money laundering investigation involving the Jauhar Trust and its associated assets.