The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim bail to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in an alleged land grabbing case, Live Law reported. The court also directed him to move to a competent court for a regular bail within two weeks.
The interim bail will stay in effect till the competent court decides on his regular bail plea. If the competent court refuses to grant regular bail, the interim bail will be applicable for another two weeks, a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai and AS Bopanna said.
The Supreme Court judges exercised their special powers listed under Article 142 of the Constitution. The provision gives power to the Supreme Court judges to do “complete justice to the litigants who have suffered illegality or injustice in the proceedings”.
In the previous hearing, on May 11, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government about proceedings against Khan who has been accused in 89 cases. He has been in jail for more than two years. The court had asked the Adityanath government to reply to Khan’s plea on the delay in the hearing of his bail petition.
This was after the Supreme Court, on May 6, described the delay in hearing of Khan’s bail plea in the Allahabad High Court as a “travesty of justice”. Khan had moved the Supreme Court after the High Court reserved its verdict on the plea.
In the land grabbing case, Khan has been accused of illegally acquiring a 13.84-hectare plot in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district for the construction of the Mohammed Ali Jauhar University. The land was categorised as enemy property under the Enemy Property Act, 1968 after its former owner, a man named Imamuddin Qureshi, went to Pakistan during Partition.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!