Travesty of justice: Supreme Court on delay in hearing Azam Khan's bail plea by Allahabad HC

New Delhi, May 6

Expressing displeasure over inordinate delay in hearing the bail plea of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in a land grab case by the Allahabad High Court, the Supreme Court termed it as travesty of justice.

Noting that Khan has got bail in 86 out of 87 cases, a Bench led by Justice L Nageswara Rao said it would hear the matter on May 11.

“He (Khan) has been out on bail in all matters except one for so long, this is travesty of justice. We will not say anything more. We will hear it on Wednesday,” it said.

Khan – who is presently lodged in Sitapur jail in connection with a number of cases, including that of land grabbing, lodged against him in Rampur – was in February denied interim bail by the top court campaigning in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Khan’s counsel told the Bench that the Allahabad High Court on Thursday reserved its order on his client’s bail application in the case of grabbing of enemy property for his Mohammad Ali Jauhar University. The high court had on December 4, 2021 reserved its decision. But the state government later sought permission to present some new facts through fresh affidavits, which were filed on Thursday.

An FIR was lodged against Khan and others for allegedly grabbing enemy property and misappropriating public money of more than hundreds of crores of rupees.

The FIR was lodged at police station Azem Nagar in Rampur under the IPC and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. It was alleged that during partition one Imamuddin Qureshi went to Pakistan and his land was recorded as enemy property, but Khan in collusion with others grabbed the 13.842-hectare plot.

Another Bench led by CJI NV Ramana took exception to the Uttar Pradesh Government’s attitude of not taking action on issues until a contempt plea was filed.

While hearing the state’s plea against an Allahabad High Court order summoning eight officers of the State government, including the Chief Secretary and officials from the Chief Minister’s Office, the CJI said, “You don’t comply with directions, at the last minute when contempt is sought you come. It is the habit of your state…”