Senior Samajwadi Party MLA Mohammad Azam Khan has requested the Uttar Pradesh government to “reinstate his ‘Z’ category security”, citing “threats” as he faces several cases.
Claiming threat to his life, Azam Khan said, “I had ‘Z’ category security earlier. It was withdrawn by the present state government. Even a senior police officer recommended it. ‘Y’ category security is being offered to me at present, but it looks similar to the security cover provided to every MLA. I want my earlier security to be reinstated as I face many threats due to all the cases filed against me.”
The Rampur district police sources said that the district police had not received any application from Azam Khan to upgrade his security. “He has been provided ‘Y’ category security and the required numbers of security guards are always with him. The district police and the local intelligence will evaluate the threat perception and write to the state government accordingly,” they said.
Azam Khan was released on bail in May after being lodged in Sitapur jail for almost 27 months. He was booked in about 89 cases ranging from book theft, hen theft, statue theft, power theft, land grabbing, forgery and land encroachment. Azam Khan had won the Lok Sabha election from Rampur in the May 2019 election. He later contested the UP assembly election from Rampur and won.