ED raids SP leader Azam Khan's Trust and university in Uttar Pradesh

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) raided premises linked to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and University of jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan as part of a money laundering investigation, officials said.

They said about 10 premises at Rampur and Saharanpur in the State and in Delhi's Jamia Nagar were being searched in the presence of a security team from the CRPF.

The action came after the federal agency booked a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The premises include those belonging to a chartered accountant in Saharanpur, two companies and their promoters, who are linked to the Trust.

The investigation pertains to alleged diversion of government contract funds through private contractors and their subsequent utilisation, including for creation of assets of the Trust and the university, according to ED officials.

The Lucknow-headquartered Trust has Khan, former Cabinet minister of the State, as its main trustee along with some family members and associates.

It runs the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University, founded in 2006, and a public school in the Rampur district.

The university was recently in the news when the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) in July directed the varsity administration to demolish 38 of its 40 buildings, alleging they had been constructed without approved building plans under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973.

The students of the university subsequently launched a protest against this demolition plan, citing their concerns about disruption in studies.

Soon after, the divisional commissioner stayed the proposed demolition and directed that no administrative action be taken until further orders, providing temporary relief to the institution in the long-running dispute with authorities.

The Samajwadi Party and other Opposition parties have criticised the action against the university and alleged political vendetta. They had urged the administration to examine all legal aspects before taking any action.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.