SP Leader Azam Khan Jailed for 7 Years in Dual PAN Card Scandal, Son Also Convicted

Image Source: Internet

{ "title": "SP Leader Azam Khan Jailed for 7 Years in Dual PAN Card Scandal, Son Also Convicted", "article": "Veteran SP leader Mohammed Azam Khan, 77, has been sent back to prison, just under two months after his release from Sitapur jail. A special MP-MLA court in Rampur convicted Khan and his son Abdullah Azam of obtaining two PAN cards using different dates of birth in 2019. The court sentenced both to seven years' imprisonment, in addition to fines and additional imprisonment terms for non-payment. Khan was taken into custody under heavy security after the verdict and was transported to the district jail. When asked about the conviction, Khan remained calm, stating that it was the court's decision and that he accepted the punishment. The court's decision was based on documentary evidence and witness testimonies, presented by Prosecution Officer Rakesh Kumar Maurya and advocate Swadesh Sharma. Maurya stated that the prosecution would review the judgment and may consider filing an appeal if they feel the punishment is inadequate. This is the fourth case in which Khan has been convicted. He has a total of 84 cases against him, including land grab, graft, and other charges. The case was lodged in 2019 by BJP leader Akash Saxena under IPC sections 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B. According to the prosecution, Abdullah obtained a PAN card mentioning January 1, 1993 as his date of birth, matching the date in his school and High School certificates. The court held that Abdullah had procured the forged PAN card in conspiracy with his father and submitted it in official records. The court's sentence for each charge is as follows: Section 420 (cheating) - three years' simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000, with an additional three months' imprisonment in case of non-payment; Section 467 (forgery of valuable security) - seven years' imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000, with an additional six months' imprisonment if the fine is not paid; Section 468 (forgery for cheating) - three years' simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000, with three months' additional imprisonment on default; Section 471 (using forged document) - two years' simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000; and Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) - one year's simple imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000, with an additional one month in case of non-payment. "