ED attaches Jauhar University assets worth Rs 426 crore in UP
The Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached land and buildings in Rampur with an estimated market value of Rs 1,170 crore.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Lucknow Zone has provisionally attached land and buildings of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, according to The Pioneer. The attached assets, belonging to the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust, are valued at Rs 426.46 crore, though their current market value is estimated at nearly Rs 1,170 crore.
The investigation targets the trust, former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan, and others. The university campus in Jauhar Nagar, SinghanKheda village, is owned by the trust founded and controlled by Azam Khan, who serves as its honorary chancellor.
Investigators allege that the trust used coercion to obtain agricultural land for the project and redirected public funds to construct the university and private residences on the site. The agency claims that in 2016, local families were pressured into selling properties at low prices through threats and the use of bulldozers.
The probe also involves allegations that construction costs were inflated, with contractors reportedly paying commissions back to the trust. The ED stated that after reviewing construction costs, they could trace only Rs 72.63 crore to legitimate sources, identifying the remaining Rs 426.46 crore as proceeds of crime.
The agency conducted searches at the university and nearby locations on 19 August 2026, seizing documents and electronic devices. The money-laundering investigation is ongoing as officials continue to trace the movement of funds.