Azam Khan, son Abdullah Azam get 7-year jail term in dual PAN card case

The complaint stated that Abdullah Azam Khan possessed two PAN cards: one with a birth date of January 1, 1993 and another with September 30, 1990.

Less than a month after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan was released from Sitapur jail, the former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and his son Abdullah Azam were on Monday sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by a Special MP-MLA Magistrate Court in Rampur in the dual PAN card case, marking another major legal setback for the senior politician.

The court held both leaders guilty of obtaining two PAN cards through alleged misrepresentation of facts. The case, filed in 2019, accused the father–son duo of using different dates of birth and personal details to secure multiple PAN identities, a violation of provisions under the Income Tax Act and the Indian Penal Code.

Following the pronouncement of the sentence, the court also imposed fines on both convicts. They were taken into custody shortly after the order. The verdict adds to the growing list of criminal cases faced by Azam Khan, a former UP minister and nine-time MLA, who has been convicted multiple times over the last few years.

Police and district officials tightened security around the court complex and Rampur city anticipating political reactions. The Samajwadi Party has termed the judgment “politically motivated,” while the ruling BJP welcomed the decision as a “victory for rule of law.” Further legal options, including an appeal before a higher court, remain open for the duo.

The case began in 2019 following a complaint by BJP leader Akash Saxena at Civil Lines police station. The complaint stated that Abdullah Azam Khan possessed two PAN cards: one with a birth date of January 1, 1993 and another with September 30, 1990.

Prosecutors argued that the second birth date was fabricated to meet the minimum age requirement of 25 years for contesting the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.