NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur and Saharanpur and Delhi in connection with Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.Officials said around 10 premises in Rampur and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi were being searched as part of a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).Officials said the investigation pertains to the alleged “diversion of government contract funds through private contractors and their subsequent utilisation, including for creation of assets of the university and trust.”“The investigation has also revealed financial transactions between certain contractors and the trust and contractors allegedly benefiting from Government contracts diverted funds towards the trust and university, including substantial donations and construction works,” the officials said, as cited by ANI.
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The searches are aimed at tracing alleged proceeds of crime, along with financial records, documents and digital evidence related to the diversion and utilisation of government funds.The Lucknow-based Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, of which former Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Azam Khan is the main trustee along with family members and associates, runs the Muhammad Ali Jauhar University and a public school in Rampur district.