Lucknow, Oct 28 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached land and buildings belonging to Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district, valued at Rs 426.46 crore in connection with a money laundering probe involving the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, Samajwadi Party leader and former minister Mohammad Azam Khan, and others, an official statement said on Wednesday.

According to the ED, the attached assets have a current estimated market value of around Rs 1,170 crore. The university campus, located at Jauhar Nagar in Rampur’s Singhankhera village, is owned by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, which was founded and is controlled by Azam Khan, who also serves as the institution’s honorary Chancellor.

The investigation stems from 26 FIRs registered at Azeem Nagar police station in Rampur, alleging that agricultural land belonging to farmers was forcibly acquired for the university.

The ED said enquiries by the district administration also found that nearly 34 acres of enemy property at Singhankhera village had allegedly been occupied for the university despite the cancellation of the land lease. The land has since been recovered by the Custodian of Enemy Property through the district administration.

The agency claimed its investigation revealed that funds intended for public works were diverted to the university, government-funded projects were executed on the private campus, and money from contractors awarded government contracts was routed back to the trust as donations.

The ED has also taken up investigation of 28 additional FIRs registered against Azam Khan and others in Rampur. These cases include allegations that several houses were demolished in 2016 and that material and equipment linked to public projects were diverted for use at the university campus. The allegations are part of charge sheets filed by the police.

According to the agency, contractors involved in government projects admitted to supplying construction material and funds for the university.

The ED further alleged that proceeds generated through illegal activities were utilised for the acquisition, construction and development of the university and associated assets.

A valuation conducted by the District Valuation Officer estimated the total cost of the university campus, including 59 buildings and land acquired through 114 sale deeds, at Rs 499.09 crore. However, the trust reportedly accounted for only Rs 78.32 crore as capital expenditure in its income tax filings.

After examining the records, the ED concluded that only Rs 72.63 crore of the campus cost could be explained through legitimate sources, leaving Rs 426.46 crore as alleged proceeds of crime.

The agency further alleged that works worth Rs 6.60 crore were executed on the university campus using MLA and MLC local area development funds, while government sanctions amounting to Rs 23.41 crore were granted for infrastructure projects on the private campus. The ED claimed that subsequent modifications to government orders resulted in public assets being transferred to the university.

Based on these findings, the ED has attached the university’s land and buildings to the extent of the alleged proceeds of crime of Rs 426.46 crore.

Searches conducted at the university and related premises on August 19, 2026, resulted in the seizure of electronic devices and documents, the agency said.

Further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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