Supreme Court is going to hear today (17 January, 2020) the plea of Samajwadi Party MP Mohmmad Azam Khan's son Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict which annulled his election as an Uttar Pradesh MLA on the grounds that he was underage and not qualified to fight the polls in 2017.

The High Courrt had declared his election from Suar assembly constituency in Rampur as null and void on a plea by defeated BSP candidate Nawab Kazim Ali Khan. In his election petition against Abdullah Khan in the HighCourt, Kazim Ali Khan had contended that the elected MLA's actual date of birth was January 1, 1993 and not September 30, 1990, as claimed in the nomination paper.

Azam Khan along with his wife, Tanzeen Fatimah and son, Abdullah Khan had been declared absconders in a case by a court in UP recently. The case is related to the alleged forged birth certificate of Abdullah Khan, under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly including delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. 

Apart from this, Azam Khan has been issued notices in two other cases because he failed to respond to court summons. The first case was filed by his neighbor Arif Raza Khan, for rioting and other offences, under IPC Sections 323, 504and 506. The other case was filed for the violation of the model code of conduct during 2019 Lok Sabha poll in which the MP took his vehicle inside the polling booth.

Another case for violation of the model code of conduct was filed in which a non-bailable warrant had been issued against him for using foul language in his speech, given during the elections. A bailable warrant has also been issued against Abdullah Khan for making objectionable speech against BJP candidate Jayaprada.

Author: Nandini Gandhi