High drama unfolded outside the District Jail in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday when Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam were detained by an Enforcement Directorate team immediately after stepping out of the prison gates. Central probe officials intercepted both politicians as they emerged from the complex to place them inside a waiting vehicle. The sudden intervention triggered severe jostling on the spot, with Azam Khan engaging in a heated argument with the agency officials during the process.
Supporters Gather as Tensions Rise Outside the Prison
A substantial crowd of Samajwadi Party workers and loyalists had assembled around the premises to welcome the two leaders. As soon as the central agency initiated the detention, agitated supporters began protesting and raised slogans, sparking widespread disorder in the immediate vicinity. Sensing the volatility and the steadily swelling crowd, district police and administrative authorities moved swiftly onto high alert. Additional personnel from several nearby police stations were called in to reinforce the perimeter and preserve law and order outside the facility.
Relief in the Pan Card Case Led to Initial Release
The release came on the back of judicial relief secured in a case involving the issuance of a PAN card. Defence counsel Mohammad Zubair Khan had formally submitted the necessary release papers to the Rampur jail authorities earlier in the day on Saturday. This followed an order passed by the Allahabad High Court on Thursday, which had suspended the seven-year prison sentences previously awarded to Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam. After the required legal formalities were wrapped up, the designated MP MLA court in Rampur issued the clearance for their discharge, only for the federal agency to intervene at the prison gates.
