Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan, his wife and former MP Tanzeen Fatima and their son and former MLA Abdullah Azam were sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a fake birth certificate case by a special court in Rampur here in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, prosecution sources said here.
Prosecution sources said that Azam, his wife Tazeen and son Abdullah have been sent to Rampur jail after being convicted by the special court.
Prosecution sources said that in 2019 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and sitting MLA Akash Saxena filed a case of possessing two birth certificates against Abdullah Azam in which Azam Khan and his wife Tazeen Fatima were made the co-accused.
Former District Government Counsel (DGC) Arun Prakash said that two birth certificates were issued in the name of Abdullah. "While one was issued by Lucknow Municipal Corporation, another one was issued from Rampur. There was a difference of 3 years in both the certificates on the basis of which Abdullah contested the assembly election," he said.
Prosecution sources said that a revision petition was filed by Azam's side in the court of the District Judge, which was rejected by the special MP-MLA court. "After the hearing concluded the special court of MP-MLA Judge Shobhit Bansal held Azam, his wife Tazeen and son Abdullah guilty," they said.
Prosecution sources said that Azam, his wife Tazeen and son Abdullah were convicted on the basis of evidence available on the records and the testimony of the witnesses. "Total 15 witnesses and 70 documentary pieces of evidence were produced in the court by the prosecution. 19 witnesses were produced by the defence site, but their testimony could not be proved in the court," they said.
Prosecution Officer Amarnath Tiwari said that the court granted maximum punishment of 7 years imprisonment to Azam and his family along with a penalty of RS 50,000 each. He said that on behalf of Azam relief was requested citing his age, but the court rejected the plea stating that the former minister was being emulated by others for occupying honourable posts.
Prosecution sources said that the term served by Azam and his family in the jail in the past will be deducted from the punishment. It may be noted that currently Azam and his family were on bail in this case.
It may be noted that Abdullah Azam has already been disqualified from the membership of UP Assembly in connection with his birth certificate. Abdullah gave details of his date of birth during 2017 assembly elections after which his nearest rival Nawab Kazim Ali Khan moved the High Court.
He had alleged that Abdullah's age was less than 25 years at the time of the election and he submitted fake documents and affidavit for contesting the poll. Kazim made the high school mark sheet and other documents the basis of his petition.After the hearing, the High Court had cancelled Abdullah's assembly membership and declared the election void.(UNI)
