Lucknow, November 3 (TNA) The Enforcement Directorate’s Lucknow Zonal Office has provisionally attached land and buildings belonging to Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The properties have been attached to the extent of ₹426.46 crore, while their estimated current market value is approximately ₹1,170 crore, the agency said.
Action Against Trust and Others
The action forms part of an ongoing money-laundering investigation against the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, Mohammad Azam Khan, a former Cabinet Minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, and others.
The university campus is located at Jauhar Nagar in Singhan Kheda village, Rampur. According to the ED, the campus is owned by the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, which was established and is controlled by Azam Khan. The agency also identified him as the university’s Chancellor Emeritus.
Alleged Diversion of Funds
The ED’s investigation reportedly concerns allegations that public funds and materials intended for government works were diverted to the university. The agency has also alleged that government projects were executed on the university’s private campus and that funds received by contractors were routed back to the trust as donations.
The agency said its probe was initiated on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by Uttar Pradesh Police in connection with alleged land-related offences and financial irregularities.
Provisional Attachment
The attachment is provisional and has been made under the PMLA. The property will remain subject to the statutory adjudication process under the anti-money-laundering law. The ED has also conducted searches at the university and premises linked to the trust, during which documents and electronic devices were reportedly seized. Further investigation into the alleged financial transactions and the role of other persons is underway.
The allegations made by the ED are subject to judicial scrutiny, and the accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.