The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out searches at several locations in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur and Saharanpur, as well as Delhi, in connection with jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, officials said.
According to ED officials, 10 locations, including the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and its trust, were searched as part of a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The searches are aimed at tracing alleged proceeds of crime, along with digital evidence, documents and financial records connected to the alleged diversion and utilisation of government funds, officials said.
Azam Khan is currently serving a sentence in Rampur Jail along with his son, Abdullah Azam.
The controversy over Jauhar University erupted after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) flagged multiple violations on the university campus, claiming that 38 of its 40 buildings were constructed without the necessary approvals.
The RDA had also directed the university to remove the structures within a specified timeframe, failing which the district administration would take steps to demolish them.
The order to demolish 38 buildings at Jauhar University triggered a political controversy. In late July, the Uttar Pradesh government's Divisional Commissioner temporarily stayed the demolition order issued by the Rampur District Magistrate.
The Samajwadi Party openly entered the political battle over the issue, while uncertainty over the future of Jauhar University continued.
Amid the developments, Azam Khan's wife Tazeen Fatma on Tuesday appealed to the Uttar Pradesh government to reconsider the demolition decision, stressing that the university was built for the public and that the interests of students and people should be kept in mind.
Speaking to IANS about the demolition order, Tazeen Fatma said the government should reconsider the decision in the interest of the nation and the public.
She also said the government would have to decide how it wanted to proceed and take responsibility for its decisions.
"This is an injustice... Has any university been demolished in this country before?" she asked.
Asked whether she remained hopeful of a favourable resolution to the Jauhar University issue, Fatma said she continued to have faith in justice. She also appealed to people to come forward and do whatever they could to protect the university.
The temporary stay on the demolition order has provided some relief, but the broader dispute over alleged construction violations and the future of Jauhar University remains unresolved.
