The bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao invoked its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant relief to Khan in view of the peculiar facts of the case.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday granted an interim bail to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan but asked him to file a regular bail in an alleged case of cheating. According to sources, Khan may soon be released.
The bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao invoked its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant relief to Khan in view of the peculiar facts of the case.
The Supreme court said the interim bail will operate till the court decides on the application for regular bail. “This is a fit case to exercise the powers under Article 142,” the bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai and A S Bopanna, said.
The case filed against Azam Khan is related to an alleged land grabbing and forgery related to the Rampur Public School. He has been accused of forging building certificates to get recognition for the school. He was sent to prison in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government said the investigators of the case are being threatened. They had allegedly been threatened even when Azam Khan’s testimony was recorded, the police said. However, his lawyer, Kapil Sibal, said Azam Khan has been in the prison for two years so the question of threatening does not arise.
Azam Khan is currently lodged at the Sitapur jail with multiple cases lodged against him. Azam Khan is a prominent Muslim face in the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party and among its strongest leaders. Despite several cases, Khan managed to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Rampur and the 2022 state polls from jail.
