Supreme Court Refuses Bail to Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan in Money Laundering Case

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan's plea seeking bail in a fresh money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi transferred Khan’s petition to the Allahabad High Court and urged its Chief Justice to post the matter for hearing before a division bench on November 16. The top court also asked the high court to pass interim orders on Khan’s plea on November 16 itself. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khan, alleged malafide in the ED’s action and said that just when he was to be released, he was arrested. "They just want me to be inside during the election," he said. The 78-year-old SP veteran was on November 1 produced before the special Ghaziabad court in connection with the money laundering case related to the Jauhar Trust, Khan's lawyer had said. The ED arrested Khan on October 31 in the money laundering case shortly after he and his son Abdullah Azam Khan were released from the Rampur jail on bail in an alleged dual PAN card case.