ED Arrests Mohammad Azam Khan Under PMLA and Attaches Rampur University Property Worth ₹426.46 Crore

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Lucknow Zonal Office, arrested Mohammad Azam Khan on 31 October 2026 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The Special PMLA Court, Ghaziabad, sent him to 14 days of judicial custody. On 28 October 2026 ED also provisionally attached land and buildings of Mohammad Ali Jauhar University, held by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, to the extent of ₹426.46 crore.

Key Highlights :

• Mr Khan is described as founder of the Trust and Chancellor of the University; he was arrested on 31 October 2026 and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
• Provisional attachment on 28 October 2026 covers land and buildings of the University to the extent of ₹426.46 crore; ED puts their present value at about ₹1,170 crore.
• The probe rests on 26 FIRs registered by UP Police at PS Azeem Nagar, Rampur, in July 2019, alleging forced acquisition of farmers' land at village Singankhera.
• ED alleges that funds and material meant for public works were diverted to the University and that contractors' money returned to the Trust as donations.
• A fresh FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered on 13 October 2026 on ED's information.
• ED searched the University and related premises in August 2026 and seized documents and electronic devices.

Background :

• The 26 FIRs of July 2019 invoke IPC sections 323, 342, 384, 447, 504 and 506. They allege that farmers were assaulted, confined and threatened into signing sale deeds for the University.
• ED says 28 other FIRs registered at Rampur, covering robbery, extortion, cheating and forgery, have also been taken up for investigation.
• The money-laundering case therefore builds on predicate offences already registered by the state police and on the October 2026 FIR.

What Has Changed :

• Entity: Mohammad Azam Khan; Allegation / Violation: Alleged laundering linked to forced land acquisition, diversion of public-works funds and routing of contractor funds as donations; Action Taken (amount ₹, assets attached, penalty): Arrested 31.10.2026 under PMLA; judicial custody for 14 days by Special PMLA Court, Ghaziabad; Next Step: Further investigation; custody period of 14 days.
• Entity: Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust / Mohammad Ali Jauhar University; Allegation / Violation: Alleged receipt of diverted funds and donations from contractors; government works on its private campus; Action Taken (amount ₹, assets attached, penalty): Provisional attachment of land and buildings, ₹426.46 crore (present value about ₹1,170 crore), on 28.10.2026; Next Step: Confirmation of attachment is not mentioned in the source.
• Entity: Others named in FIRs; Allegation / Violation: Not stated in source; Action Taken (amount ₹, assets attached, penalty): Not stated in source; Next Step: Further investigation.

Who Is Affected :

• Mr Khan, the Trust and the University, whose attached property is held by the Trust.
• Farmers of village Singankhera named in the FIRs as complainants; contractors alleged to have routed funds to the Trust.
• No class is expressly excluded in the source.

Compliance Action Points :

No direct compliance action. The release imposes no filing, deadline or penalty on the general public.

Analysis & Impact :

• For CA / CS / Tax & Legal Professionals: Provisional attachment under PMLA must ordinarily be placed before the Adjudicating Authority for confirmation. Lawyers advising the Trust or lenders should watch for that stage and for any challenge before the Appellate Tribunal. The source does not state either step.
• For Businesses & Investors: Contractors and entities that dealt with the Trust or University may see their transactions examined. Institutions holding dues from the University should check for encumbrances created by the attachment.
• For News Readers: ED has arrested a former legislator's university-linked trust head and attached property valued at over ₹1,000 crore; the allegations are untested in court.
• Points to Watch: Outcome of the custody period, any bail application, confirmation of the attachment, and a possible prosecution complaint.

References :

• Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 – arrest and provisional attachment of proceeds of crime.
• Indian Penal Code, 1860 – sections 323, 342, 384, 447, 504, 506 (predicate offences in the 2019 FIRs).
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 – FIR of 13 October 2026.
• No earlier circular or case law is named in the source.

Source & Attribution :

• Primary source: Directorate of Enforcement, Press Release dated 01 November 2026 (Lucknow Zonal Office). Link: Not stated in source.
• No other source used.

Disclaimer: This summary is an editorial aid prepared from publicly available information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice. Refer to the original notification, circular, order or report before acting.