Greeva Garg –
Published on August 10, 2021 at 16:37 IST
The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to Samajwadi Party leaders, MP Azam Khan and his son Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan, alleged in a forgery case.
The division bench comprising Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Sanjiv Khanna has directed that both will be released on bail after the Trial Court in Uttar Pradesh records the statement of Azam Khan, which will be done within next 4 weeks.
The Supreme Court granted the bail during the hearing of an appeal, which was filed by Azam Khan against the order passed by the Allahabad High Court on November 26, 2020. In the order, the High Court rejected the bail application of both Azam Khan and Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan on apprehension of witness tampering.
“Having regard to the position and status of the accused persons, the repetition of the offences and the pervasive influence that applicants exercise in various departments of the State, there is a reasonable apprehension of the witnesses being influenced and danger to the course of justice being thwarted, said the bench Accordingly, in the circumstances, the grant of bail at this stage would not be in the public interest,” the order by the Allahabad High Court stated.
Abdullah being less than 25 years of age during the 2017 UP Assembly Elections and not being qualified to be an MLA under Article 173(b) of the Constitution of India, Azam and Abdullah were accused of forging Abdullah’s age in his birth certificate, so as to make him eligible to contest the elections.
Thereafter, FIR was registered where Azam Khan has been accused of offences under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) while Abdullah was charged with offences under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 of IPC and Section 12(1A) Passport Act, 1967.
Earlier, the Supreme Court Bench of Justice RF Nariman, Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice BR Gavai on May 6, 2021 had issued notice to Uttar Pradesh Government in bail plea by Azam.
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