RAMPUR: A court in Rampur sentenced Azam Khan to two years’ simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 in a 2019 case related to his alleged derogatory “tankhaiyya” remarks against district administration officials during the Lok Sabha election campaign.Advocate Swadesh Sharma said the conviction was based on documentary and oral evidence presented before the court, including eyewitness accounts and video footage. “This matter dates back to 2019, in which Mohammad Azam Khan made derogatory remarks against officials of the district administration. He delivered an inflammatory speech; notably, the Model Code of Conduct had already come into force prior to this incident,” Sharma told ANI.He further noted that the accused had earlier faced restrictions during the election campaign period.“Prior to this, restrictions of 48 hours and 72 hours had also been imposed upon him. Although he had tendered a written apology, he subsequently repeated the same misconduct. Consequently, a criminal case was registered against him,” Sharma added.Explaining the procedural details, Sharma said the case was initially registered at Civil Lines Police Station and was later transferred to Bhot Police Station as the alleged incident took place in Mankara village.“The Investigating Officer, Rishi Pal Singh, filed the charge sheet in this case,” he said. He further stated that the prosecution examined eight witnesses, all of whom were government officials. “The case was registered by Ghanshyam Tripathi, the then SDM, who has now retired. Apart from him, three sub-inspectors, two head constables, a constable, and the investigator were presented as witnesses,” Sharma said. Highlighting the evidence, Sharma added, “Eyewitnesses were there, and a video was also presented. These individuals appeared before the court as eyewitnesses. The video evidence also formed part of the case file. A significant point here is that the video was never refuted by the accused, nor was any challenge raised regarding its authenticity. Thus, it was established as an accepted fact that they had indeed delivered such a speech.“After examining the evidence, the court sentenced him to two years of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 under the relevant sections. “The verdict prescribes a sentence of two years of simple imprisonment and a monetary fine of Rs 5,000 under each of the relevant sections,” Sharma said.Reacting to the verdict, BJP MLA Aakash Saxena said the judgment should serve as a warning to public representatives. “This serves as a lesson for those politicians who make derogatory remarks against government officials solely to garner public applause. While doing so and considering the kind of language he employs, they often forget that the standards they apply to others apply equally to themselves. Therefore, this verdict by the court is, in itself, historic,” he said.The incident dates back to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when Azam Khan was contesting from the Rampur constituency on a Samajwadi Party ticket. During a campaign rally in the Bhot area, he allegedly made controversial remarks against district administration officials, including the then district magistrate, and the speech later went viral on social media.In the speech, he referred to the district magistrate as “Tankhaiyya” (salaried employee) and urged people not to be afraid of him. He also said that after winning the election, he would make the official “clean his shoes,” and made a reference to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati.This is not the first case in which Azam Khan has been convicted. Over the past few years, multiple cases have been registered against him, including allegations of land grabbing, forgery of documents, electoral offences and disputes with administrative officials, with several earlier convictions as well.At present, Azam Khan is lodged in jail, while multiple cases remain pending before different courts.In a separate dual PAN card forgery case (November 2025), Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan, were convicted by a special court in Rampur and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment. The court held them guilty of criminal conspiracy related to the use of multiple PAN cards with different dates of birth.(With agency inputs)
