No Relief for Abdullah Azam Khan: Supreme Court Rejects Plea to Quash Passport Forgery Case
Supreme Court upheld Allahabad High Court order; said trial in Abdullah Azam Khan’s passport forgery case must conclude independently
SC refuses to quash FIR against Abdullah Azam Khan in passport forgery case; directs trial court to decide independently
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by former Uttar Pradesh MLA Abdullah Azam Khan, son of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, seeking to quash an FIR accusing him of using forged documents to obtain a passport.
The Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma declined to interfere with the Allahabad High Court’s order that had earlier refused to quash the FIR, noting that the trial in the case was already over.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Khan.
“We are not inclined to interfere. However, we make it clear that the trial court is at liberty to decide all issues without being influenced by the order of the High Court,” the Bench observed.
Justice Sundresh further remarked, “Have faith in the trial court. Let it be decided in the trial court. Why should we interfere now when the trial is already over?”
The case stems from an FIR registered at the Civil Lines Police Station in Rampur district, where Abdullah Azam Khan is facing trial before the Special MP/MLA Court under Sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the FIR, Abdullah allegedly used forged documents to obtain a passport showing his date of birth as September 30, 1990, while his school records indicate his actual birth date as January 1, 1993. Charges in the case were framed on September 9, 2021.
This is not the first time the Supreme Court has declined relief to the former MLA. In October, the Court dismissed another plea filed by Abdullah Azam and his father Azam Khan, who had sought to quash a separate case alleging use of a forged birth certificate to obtain a PAN card for filing an election nomination.
In that matter too, the Court had noted that the trial had concluded and directed the trial court to deliver judgment within eight weeks, making it clear that the High Court’s observations would not influence the final verdict.
Earlier, in July, the Supreme Court had permitted both trials to proceed but had directed that final judgments should not be delivered until further orders.
In a related news, in May, the Allahabad High Court had granted relief to Azam Khan in the fake birth certificate case by staying his conviction. However, the court did not stay the conviction of his wife, Tanzeen Fatima, and son, Abdullah Azam, though their pleas for suspension of sentence were allowed and they were granted bail.
In July 2022, the Supreme Court had dismissed a plea filed by Azam Khan seeking direction to quash the charge sheet in the matter. The Trial Court / Special Judge (MP/MLA), ACJM-I, Rampur sentenced all three to seven years in prison for forgery, among other sentences on October 18, 2023.
Earlier, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by Azam Khan seeking transfer of his ongoing hate speech trial from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi. Khan had alleged tampering of court records and expressed apprehensions over receiving a fair trial in the state.
The Apex Court, on February 10, 2025, granted bail to Azam Khan, along with his son, Mohammed Abdullah Azam Khan in a case relating to machine theft. "Taking into considering the period of incarceration undergone by the appellants, and that the chargesheet has already been filed, we are inclined to set aside the impugned order and grant bail to the appellants. Accordingly, the appellants are granted bail, subject to the terms and conditions which are to the satisfaction of the Trial Court, " the court had then said.
Case Title: Mohammad Abdullah Azam Khan v. State of Uttar Pradesh
Hearing Date: November 6, 2025
Bench: Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma