UP court increases jail terms of Azam Khan, son to 10 years in fake PAN case

MEERUT: In a major setback to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam Khan, a Rampur MP/MLA court on Saturday enhanced their prison sentences from seven years to 10 years each in the fake PAN card case in which they are involved.The order came after the court heard an appeal filed by the state govt seeking stricter punishment. Earlier, on Nov 17, 2025, a lower court had sentenced the father-son duo to seven years’ imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000 each. The court has now increased the fine to Rs 5 lakh each.In its appeal, the prosecution argued that the matter was not a clerical error but a serious criminal offence involving deliberate forgery and misuse of govt identification documents. The state sought exemplary punishment to deter “such fraudulent activities”.The case originated from a complaint filed by BJP MLA Akash Saxena at Rampur’s Civil Lines police station on July 30, 2019. Saxena alleged that Abdullah Azam had fraudulently obtained two PAN cards using different personal details. During the investigation, police also found the alleged involvement of Azam Khan and made him a co-accused in the case.According to police findings, Abdullah Azam possessed two PAN cards carrying different dates of birth. One document mentioned Jan 1, 1993, while the other recorded Sept 30, 1990. Police treated it as a case of forgery and cheating and filed charges accordingly.After a prolonged trial, the MP/MLA court convicted both on Nov 17, 2025, following which they were sent to Rampur district jail. The duo later challenged the conviction in the sessions court.Final arguments concluded on April 6. Defence counsel Nasir Sultan appeared for the accused, while ADGC Seema Rana represented the prosecution. “After reserving its judgment, sessions court judge Vijay Kumar dismissed the appeals filed by Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam, upheld the lower court’s conviction and enhanced their sentences,” Rana said.Welcoming the verdict, BJP MLA Saxena said, “I always had faith in the Indian judicial system. The law is finally taking its rightful course.”(With inputs from Asif Ansari)