Azam Khan, family shifted to Sitapur jail, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to meet them today

The senior SP leader, along with his wife and son, had surrendered before a Rampur court on Wednesday and were sent to judicial custody till March 2.

But after the Rampur police expressed apprehension on the law and order situation due to the custody of the SP leaders, they were shifted to Sitapur district jail on earlier this morning.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav, who was scheduled to reach Rampur and even booked a private aircraft for going to Bareilly and thereafter to Rampur by car, cancelled his visit and will now go to Sitapur.

The noose around the Khans tightened in the wake of Abdullah's alleged fake birth certificate case, besides several other cases.

Jail Superintendent of Sitapur, DC Mishra, told reporters that the Samajwadi MP and his son Abdullah will be provided with special security inside the jail , while Tazeen Fatma Azam will be kept in women's barracks.

Notably, the case relates to two birth certificates of Abdullah Azam, who allegedly also gave a wrong date of birth while filing his nomination papers for the Assembly elections in 2017. His election was set aside by the Allahabad High Court last December and he also approached the Supreme Court, which is still hearing the case.

Earlier on Monday, Rampur's Additional District Judge Dhirendra Kumar had rejected an anticipatory bail plea filed by the family and issued non-bailable warrants and notice for attaching their property.

All three family members on Wednesday surrendered before the court, which sent them to judicial custody.

Without questioning the judge's ruling, SP president Akhilesh Yadav reportedly stated that the BJP government was indulging in the vendetta against the politician.

A Rampur BJP leader Akash Saxena had lodged an FIR at Gang police station on January 3, 2019, alleging fraud related to Abdullah Azam's two birth certificates. In April, police filed the charge sheet in court. It alleged that Azam Khan's son also had two passports and as many PAN cards.

In one birth certificate, issued by the Rampur municipality, Abdullah's birth date was mentioned as January 1, 1993. The other certificate said he was born in Lucknow on September 30, 1990, according to the charge against him.

A case was also registered against Azam Khan and his wife as they had submitted an affidavit fortifying their son's second birth certificate. Azam Khan represents Rampur in the Lok Sabha and his wife is an MLA from the Rampur Assembly seat.

Abdullah won from the Suar Assembly segment in 2017. The Allahabad High Court had set aside his election last December on a plea by defeated BSP candidate Kazim Ali Khan, who alleged that the SP candidate was under 25 when he filed his nomination papers in 2017. But the case is pending before the Supreme Court, which will hear the case on March 25.