PAN Card Case: Allahabad HC Grants Bail to Azam Khan and Son
The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to SP leader Azam Khan and son Abdullah Azam in the PAN card case after a long legal battle.
In a significant legal turn, the Allahabad High Court has granted bail to senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan and his son, Abdullah Azam Khan. The duo had been embroiled in a legal battle concerning the possession of two PAN cards, a case that has seen multiple twists across different levels of the judiciary.
The Road to the High Court
The relief comes after the father and son challenged a verdict previously delivered by a trial court. The case had progressed through several stages of litigation, reaching a peak when an MP-MLA session court delivered a harsh ruling on May 23, 2026. In that instance, the session court not only maintained the seven-year sentence for Abdullah Azam Khan but actually increased the sentence for Mohammad Azam Khan to 10 years.
This escalation followed an initial ruling by a magistrate's court, which had originally sentenced both individuals to seven years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of 50,000 rupees on each of them.
The Legal Battle and Arguments
The High Court proceedings involved a series of intense hearings. The legal team for the petitioners was led by senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and N.I. Jafri, with assistance from advocate Shashwat Anand. Opposing them were Additional Advocate General Anoop Trivedi and Additional Government Advocate Paritosh Kumar Malviya, representing the state government.
The court's decision followed the conclusion of final arguments on October 15, 2026. Justice Samit Gopal, who presided over the matter, had reserved the verdict after hearing both sides.
Consolidated Petitions
Interestingly, the High Court did not look at the bail plea in isolation. The court consolidated the petitioners' request with a separate criminal revision petition filed by the state government. The state had previously sought an enhancement of the sentences that were handed down by the lower court, adding another layer of complexity to the proceedings.
With the granting of bail, the Samajwadi Party leaders have secured a crucial reprieve in a case that has seen their sentences fluctuate between seven and ten years in the lower courts.