Azam Khan, son Abdullah get 7-year jail term in dual PAN card fraud case

In a major legal setback for the Samajwadi Party, senior leader Mohammad Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam were on Monday convicted and sentenced to jail terms of up to seven years by a special MP/MLA court in Rampur. The verdict comes in a 2019 case alleging that Abdullah obtained two PAN cards using different dates of birth, with the court holding that the father and son acted “in conspiracy.”

The judgment was delivered by Special Magistrate (MP/MLA Court) Shobhit Bansal, who found both accused guilty after closely examining documentary evidence and witness statements. Prosecution Officer Rakesh Kumar Maurya confirmed that the duo was taken into custody immediately after the conviction. He also said the prosecution would review the ruling and may consider an appeal if it finds the sentence insufficient.

Case background

The case dates back to 2019, when BJP leader Akash Saxena lodged an FIR at Rampur’s Civil Lines police station. The charges invoked serious IPC sections, including:420 (cheating),467 (forgery of valuable security),468 (forgery for cheating),471 (using forged documents),120-B (criminal conspiracy)

According to the prosecution, Abdullah initially held a PAN card issued by the Income Tax Department that reflected January 1, 1993 as his date of birth. This date matched his school records, High School certificates, and his State Bank of India account details.

However, investigators later found that Abdullah had also obtained a second PAN card using a different date of birth, allegedly to meet eligibility conditions for contesting elections. The court noted that the forged PAN card was procured “in conspiracy with his father” and was submitted in official records, making the offence deliberate and planned.

Passport and Affidavit discrepancies

Saxena had earlier accused Abdullah of also violating the Passport Act. The passport issued to him on January 10, 2018 mentioned September 30, 1990 as his date of birth contradicting his educational certificates which show January 1, 1993.

Further, he alleged that during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Abdullah submitted an inaccurate PAN number in his election affidavit. He reportedly used one PAN in the affidavit but another in income tax documents, raising suspicion of deliberate concealment.

Azam Khan, a founding member of the Samajwadi Party and once a powerful minister, had walked out of Sitapur Jail in September 2023 after spending nearly 23 months behind bars in multiple cases. Monday’s conviction adds another major blow to his political career.

The Rampur court’s verdict marks a significant development in the long-running legal battles involving the Khan family. With both father and son now in custody, the case is expected to trigger political ripples in Uttar Pradesh in the coming days.