Azam Khan stares at arrest

Embroiled in dozens of cases, including those of land grab, firebrand Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and party MP Azam Khan could be arrested.

A hint to this effect was dropped by a senior police official in Rampur, Khan's native district, about 325 kilometres from here, on Saturday.

The official said that dozens of cases had been registered against Azam Khan. "The sections under which Azam Khan has been booked, are enough to arrest him," the police officer remarked.

However, he did not elaborate when asked whether the police would arrest Azam Khan, when he came to Rampur or a police team might be sent to arrest him from Delhi.

Incidentally, Azam has not visited Rampur in the past month. The Rampur police had recently filed a charge-sheet in the court against Azam in connection with his "objectionable" remarks on film actress-turned-politician and BJP leader Jaya Prada.

Azam was recently declared a "land mafia" by the UP government and his name was included in the list of people who have found mention on the anti-land mafia portal. The portal has names of people who grab land and never vacate it.

Azam has been accused of grabbing land of several local farmers. As many as 13 cases of land grabbing were registered against Azam in the past few weeks only.

More than 25 local farmers had complained to the district magistrate alleging that their lands had been ''forcibly'' taken over by Azam for construction of the University building during the previous SP regime.

A probe had been ordered after the BJP formed its government in the state after assembly polls in 2017. Officials claimed that they detected large scale irregularities in the alleged purchase of land for the varsity.