ED likely to slap PMLA case against Azam Khan-headed Jauhar Trust
Ex-minister allegedly used ₹106.56 crore of government money to perform works at his Maulana Ali Jauhar University in Rampur.
A complaint by BJP MLA from Rampur Akash Saxena, which had led to an Income Tax (I-T) probe, has now set the ground for an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the alleged money laundering at Jauhar Trust, which is headed by former cabinet minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan.
The trust runs Maulana Ali Jauhar University, of which Khan is the lifetime chancellor, in Rampur.
In the recent development, I-T officials are said to have submitted details of its survey findings regarding the case to the ED, which is now likely to register another case of money laundering against the former minister. Khan allegedly used ₹106.56 crore of government money to carry out works for the university without any proper sanctions. The money belonged to the public works department (PWD), Jal Nigam and the construction and design services (C&DS) wing of Jal Nigam.
A senior I-T official confirmed that the alleged irregularities surfaced during a survey carried out for three consecutive days by the department in the third week of September.
He said the findings suggested that Jal Nigam transferred ₹46.86 crore for projects under the Ram Sewerage Scheme on the university premises and nearby areas, and another ₹6.70 crore for construction of three pump stations and two water tanks on the campus. Similarly, the C&DS built a sewage treatment plant worth ₹35.9 crore near the university and the PWD built roads worth ₹17.16 crore, he said.
The I-T official observed that these works were carried out without any government orders, and as such, the departments concerned had been issued notices.
He added that the three departments mentioned were headed by Azam Khan when he was a cabinet minister in the Samajwadi Party government between 2012 and 2017.
He said these details were shared with the central office of the ED for further review and it was likely that the agency might register another case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate the issue.
