LUCKNOW: Amid a massive gathering of party workers and supporters, Samajwadi Party (SP) stalwart Azam Khan was released from Sitapur jail on Tuesday after 23 months.
Seated inside a car, he greeted his supporters by waving hands through the window. His two sons, Adib and Abdullah, received him. Speaking to the media, Adib said: “Today’s real hero is Azam Sahab.”
The SP leader was released from jail amid tight security arrangements in and around the jail premises, with over 100 police personnel being deployed.
The release was scheduled for 9 am, but the process got delayed due to pending legal issues. The release was halted temporarily as a case in the Rampur court required Azam Khan to pay a fine of Rs 6,000.
As soon as the court opened at 10 am, his relative, Farhan Ullah Khan deposited the amount. An official email was then sent to the jail clearing the way for the release of the SP leader.
Adib, Azam Khan’s son, who reached the jail as early as 7 am to receive his father, was initially asked to leave by the police due to concerns over crowd management.
Azam Khan had been fighting multiple legal battles with a total of 104 cases filed against him. Just five days earlier, the Allahabad High Court granted him bail in a case related to illegal possession of the Rampur Quality Bar property.
Followingly, the police added new charges in a separate enemy property case, which delayed his release further.
However, on September 20, the Rampur court dismissed these charges, clearing the legal hurdle and allowing his release.
SP leader Shivpal Yadav had welcomed the court’s decision, stating that Azam Khan was wrongly punished by the government and justice was finally served 'now'.
SP MP Ruchi Vira also reached Sitapur before Azam’s release, expressing gratitude to the judiciary and saying that all party workers were overjoyed over his release.
She dismissed speculations of Azam Khan joining the BSP, stating that he was a founder of the Samajwadi Party and had nurtured it with great effort.
With Navratri celebrations underway, Section 144 was enforced in Sitapur, preventing large gatherings. Sitapur CO Vinayak Bhosle said that action was being taken to manage the crowd and prevent any disruption.
Notably, police used drone cameras to monitor the situation outside the jail. Reacting to it, SP district president Chhatrapal Singh Yadav said that the party workers had gathered only to welcome their leader.
While celebrations unfolded in Sitapur, Azam Khan’s residence in Rampur remained silent home with only his wife, Dr Tazeen Fatima, at home. The main gate of the house remained locked from inside.