Allahabad HC Stays Final Order in Azam Khan's 2016 Eviction Case Until 2025

Prayagraj, June 18 (PTI) — The Allahabad High Court has issued a stay on the issuance of any final judgment or order in the consolidated trial concerning the 2016 forcible eviction case involving multiple FIRs against former Member of Parliament Mohammad Azam Khan and others.

Justice Dinesh Pathak directed that the case be listed as fresh on July 3, while allowing the trial to continue. However, no final order shall be delivered until July 3, 2025.

The stay came in response to an application filed by co-accused Mohammad Islam, alias Islam Thekedar, and others. The case originated from 12 FIRs lodged between 2019 and 2020 at Rampur's Kotwali police station, concerning a reported incident on October 15, 2016. The event involved the demolition of unauthorized structures on the Waqf property named Yateem Khana, Waqf no-157.

Initially tried as separate cases, these FIRs were amalgamated into a single trial by the Special Judge (MP/MLA) in Rampur on August 8, 2024. Charges include dacoity, house trespass, and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The high court's ruling, dated June 11, followed the defense's concerns regarding a potential lack of procedural fairness, as the trial court was aiming to wrap up proceedings within June. Acknowledging the "peculiar facts and circumstances", Justice Pathak ruled out the provision of a final order until the next hearing on July 3, 2025.

In a related matter, a petition from former Uttar Pradesh minister and ex-MP Azam Khan and his associate Virendra Goel is scheduled for hearing on June 18 as a "mentioned case" before a single judge of the high court.

This petition disputes the trial court's orders from May 30, 2025, which rejected their motions to recall informants and crucial prosecution witnesses, including Zafar Ahmad Farooqui, chairman of the Sunni Central Waqf Board. They also seek to introduce exculpatory videographic evidence from the 2016 eviction. The applicants argue that such evidence, acknowledged by Farooqui, might demonstrate their absence from the scene, thus proving their innocence.

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