The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached land and buildings belonging to Maulana Mohammad Ali Jaunhar University, located in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. The value of these assets is estimated at 426.46 million rupees, while their market value is approximately 1170 million rupees.
These actions by the ED are part of an investigation into money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002. The case involves the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jaunhar Trust, former Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammad Azman Khan, and other individuals.
The campus of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jaunhar University is situated in Jaunhar Nagar, Singanheda village, Rampur. The land and buildings of this university belong to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jaunhar Trust. According to the ED, this trust was established by Mohammad Azman Khan, who also exercises control over it and serves as the honorary curator of the university.
The investigative agency alleges that a significant portion of the funds used for the construction and development of the university lacks a legitimate source. The ED's investigation began based on 26 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered at the Azimanagar police station in Rampur, in accordance with PMLA. These cases initially contained charges under Section 384 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other provisions.
The complaints alleged that farmers' agricultural lands were forcibly seized for the needs of the university. According to the Rampur district administration report, about 45 plots out of 34 acres belonging to hostile property in Singanheda village were also illegally occupied. This land was leased to the trust, but the hostile property lessor subsequently terminated the lease agreement.
Despite the cancellation of the lease agreement, the ED claims that these hostile property plots continued to be used by the university. Consequently, the custodian of the hostile property from the Ministry of Home Affairs reclaimed the land through the Rampur district administration. The investigative agency included these facts concerning the land in its investigation. Hostile property is defined as property registered as belonging to citizens of hostile countries or associated organizations according to relevant Indian legal norms.
During the investigation, the ED found that funds intended for public purposes were allegedly diverted to the construction and development of the university. According to the investigating agency, funds also flowed into the trust through contractors who received government contracts. It is alleged that some payments from government contracts were subsequently transferred to the trust as donations. The ED shared this information with the Uttar Pradesh police in accordance with Section 66(2) of PMLA. Based on this, Case No. 0224/2026 was registered at the Azimanagar police station in Rampur on October 13, 2026.
In this case, Mohammad Azman Khan, the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jaunhar Trust, and others are charged under Sections 61, 316(5), and 318(4) of the new Indian Penal Code (BNS) 2023, as well as under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988. These sections allow for the investigation of allegations of criminal conspiracy, fraud, and corruption. However, final conclusions on these charges will only be reached after the completion of the investigation and judicial process.
The ED also included 28 other FIRs registered by the Rampur police against Mohammad Azman Khan and others in its investigation. According to the agency, most of these have already been transferred to court (chargesheet filed). These complaints and materials allege that in 2016, houses of many families in the city of Rampur were demolished by bulldozers. Many of these families lived as tenants of Waqf property. It is alleged that this operation was carried out under the direction of Azman Khan, led by the then district officer and others.
In these cases, they are accused of assaulting residents of the houses, threatening false criminal cases, and robbing cash, jewelry, and livestock from the affected families. It is also claimed that the construction debris from the demolished houses was transported to Jaunhar University by trucks. Furthermore, cleaning vehicles purchased for the Rampur municipality were allegedly sent to the university premises. The ED is investigating the alleged misuse of public resources and benefits gained by the university.
During the PMLA investigation, the ED discovered that many contractors from Rampur used funds and construction materials related to government contracts for the construction of the university. According to the agency, the managing director of one company admitted that the company had received contracts from the Public Works Department (PWD) worth about 186 million rupees. He allegedly stated that 30-40 percent of the total contract amount was used to purchase construction materials for the university. This is part of the allegations of using funds from government projects for the construction of a private university.
During the investigation, partners of another firm allegedly confessed that they worked under the influence of Mohammad Azman Khan. This firm also donated 40 lakh rupees to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jaunhar Trust. The ED views these transactions as a link between funds from government contracts and donations received by the trust.