Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan gets two-year jail term in ‘shoe cleaning’ remark case
The senior Samajwadi Party leader has been convicted in eight cases including the current one. Since 2017, more than 81 cases have been registered against him.
Khan, who is currently lodged in Rampur jail, was also fined Rs 20,000 by a Rampur district court. (Express Photo) Jailed Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has been sentenced to two years in prison in a case related to his alleged “cleaning shoes” objectionable remark against government officials, including the then Collector-cum-District Magistrate, during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. Khan, who is currently lodged in Rampur jail, was also fined Rs 20,000 by a Rampur district court.
Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, who is Divisional Commissioner Moradabad, was the then District Magistrate, Rampur, in 2019.
This case is widely regarded as a turning point for Khan, marking the beginning of prolonged legal action. Around 70 against him were lodged in 2019 alone. A 10-time MLA from Rampur Sadar and former Cabinet minister, Khan has been one of the SP’s most prominent Muslim faces and a long-standing influential figure. He has been lodged in jail since November last year after his conviction in a forgery case relating to the alleged use of two PAN cards.
On Saturday, Khan appeared before the court through video conference.
“The court sentenced Azam Khan to two years imprisonment and also imposed a Rs 20,000 fine on him,” said Special Public Prosecutor, Rampur, Rakesh Maurya. The court examined 10 prosecution witnesses in the case.
Maurya added that court held Khan guilty under IPC sections 153-A (promoting enmity between two groups), 153-B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 505 (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes). The court also held him guilty under Section 125 of the Representation of People Act.
Khan’s lawyer, Nasir Sultan, said an appeal would be filed against the judgment.
What is the 2019 case?
Khan was contesting as the joint candidate of the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal (SP-BSP-RLD) alliance from the Rampur parliamentary constituency when the alleged remarks were made in 2019.
According to the prosecution, the case was registered against Khan on May 11, 2019, at Bhot police station on a complaint by the then Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Rampur, Ghanshyam Tripathi.
The complaint alleged that at a public meeting during the Lok Sabha election campaign, Khan made objectionable remarks against government officials; he allegedly referred to officials as tankhaiyya (salaried employees) and said no one should be afraid of them. This was followed by a remark on “cleaning shoes”. The statement was circulated on social media in violation of the Model Code of Conduct, alleged the complainant.
Mounting cases
According to Uttar Pradesh Police records, more than 81 cases were registered against Khan after the BJP assumed power in the state in 2017.
A significant majority of these cases — around 70 — were lodged in 2019 alone, with six additional cases reportedly registered in 2020. The charges span alleged offences including land grabbing, cheating, vandalism, criminal trespass, hate speech, and criminal intimidation.
Including the current case, Khan has been convicted in eight cases — seven in Rampur and one in Moradabad. He has filed appeals against the judgments, which were allowed in a few cases. He obtained bail in some cases after conviction was suspended.
In addition, Khan has been acquitted in six other cases. However, the state government has challenged a few of these acquittals in higher courts.
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