UP Assembly to decide on Azam Khans's son after receiving court order

Months after Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan was disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, his son Abdullah Azam Khan possibly faces the same fate after a Moradabad court sentenced him to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case.

Assembly officials on Tuesday said they are waiting for the copy of the Moradabad court's judgment and will take a decision on declaring the Swar seat vacant after receiving it.

The Representation of the People Act lists offences which can lead to disqualification of legislators, and also states that anyone sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time in jail.

 

"Once information about the judgment comes, a decision will be taken regarding declaration of vacancy (of the Swar seat represented by Abdullah Azam Khan)," a senior official of the Uttar Pradesh assembly told PTI.

On Monday, the Moradabad court awarded the jail term to Abdullah Azam Khan, also a Samajwadi Party leader, and his father Azam Khan in the 2008 case.

They were accused of sitting on a dharna on a state highway on January 29, 2008, as their cavalcade was stopped by police for checking in the wake of an attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Rampur on December 31, 2007.

However, the court has granted bail to both of them.

Abdullah Azam Khan and his father were booked under sections 353 (criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Last year in October, Azam Khan, who represented the Rampur Sadar assembly seat, faced disqualification after a court sentenced him to three years in jail in a hate speech case.

In the by-poll held on the seat in December last year, BJP's Akash Saxena had defeated Khan's protege Asim Raza on the seat.

Azam Khan has won the Rampur Sadar seat nine times since 1980.