Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan moved the Supreme Court on Monday to challenge his recent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The petition seeks to contest the federal agency's actions in connection with a fresh money laundering case linked to the Jauhar Trust. The matter was presented before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, who took note of the submissions made by Khan's legal representative, lawyer Nizam Pasha.
While the court acknowledged the petition, it declined to grant an urgent hearing in the matter. The bench noted that the plea could be listed for consideration later during the week. This development comes as the former minister continues to face legal proceedings across multiple jurisdictions in Uttar Pradesh.
The legal challenges for the veteran politician escalated on Sunday when a special court in Ghaziabad remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody. This order was issued in connection with the ongoing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate regarding alleged money laundering activities involving the Jauhar Trust. The agency had been building its case against the leader for several months, intensifying its probe with a series of investigative actions.
The Enforcement Directorate officially arrested the Samajwadi Party leader on October 31. This arrest took place almost immediately after he and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, were released from Rampur jail. The pair had secured bail in a separate legal matter involving an alleged dual PAN card case. The timing of the ED's move, coming at the moment of his release, has been a significant point of discussion in the ongoing legal discourse surrounding his detention.
The investigative agency has been actively pursuing leads in this case for some time. In August, the Enforcement Directorate conducted a series of raids as part of its money laundering investigation. During that period, the agency also summoned and questioned the Samajwadi Party leader to record his statement and gather evidence regarding the financial operations of the trust in question.
The Jauhar Trust case has remained a focal point of legal and political attention. Supporters and party members have been monitoring the situation closely as the leader transitions between various custody orders and bail proceedings. The current judicial custody in Ghaziabad marks a new phase in the litigation, as the case moves into the higher courts for scrutiny.
With the matter now placed before the Supreme Court, legal experts are waiting to see how the bench evaluates the grounds for the challenge against the arrest. The outcome of this petition will have significant implications for the leader’s ongoing custody status. As the case proceeds, the focus remains on the procedural aspects of the Enforcement Directorate's investigation and the validity of the arrest, which the defence is seeking to overturn through the intervention of the apex court. The proceedings are expected to continue later this week as the judiciary reviews the merits of the filed petition.
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