Allahabad HC stays Azam Khan’s arrest in 2007 house demolition case

The Allahabad high court has stayed the arrest of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan in connection with re-investigation of a 2007 house demolition case filed at Ganj police station of Rampur district.

It was alleged that the house of the informant was demolished at the behest of the then UP minister Azam Khan in 2006. The FIR was lodged on July 10, 2007.

The bench comprising Justice Rajiv Gupta and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra directed the state government as well as counsel for the informant to file counter affidavit (reply) in the petition filed by Azam Khan.

In the present case, an FIR was lodged against the petitioner–Azam Khan–alleging mischief, criminal trespass, common intention and extortion at Ganj police station of Rampur district.

The police investigated the case and submitted the final report on December 7, 2007 in favour of the petitioner by giving him a clean chit.

A protest petition was filed against the said final report, in which notices were issued to the first informant vide order dated December 7, 2007 and thereafter the matter remained pending.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for petitioner Imran Ullah submitted that no offence whatsoever is disclosed against the petitioner, as such, impugned FIR is liable to be quashed.

After hearing both sides, the court in its order dated April 2 said the matter requires consideration and passed the above directives. The court has fixed May 5, 2025 for next hearing of the case.