Probe launched into alleged discrepancies in Abdullah Azam's poll nomination papers

District authorities here have launched a probe into alleged discrepancies in the information furnished by Abdullah Azam, the son of former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan, to the Election Commission during the assembly election.
The move comes two days after the EC instructed district officials to probe the matter.
Abdullah, MLA from the Suar Tanda assembly segment, is accused of possessing two Permanent Account Numbers (PAN) and giving incorrect date of birth while filing his nomination for the election earlier this year, officials said.
Rampur district magistrate Shiv Sahaya Awasthi said he had yesterday deputed additional district magistrate M P Singh to conduct an enquiry into the matter.

Probe has started and Abdullah's nomination papers were being scrutinised, he said.
The investigation officer has asked the complainant and the legislator to submit their response by August 8.

Meanwhile, when media persons sought Abdullah's response, he said "Jo jeeta wahi sikandar (He who wins, is the king) without elaborating. He also describe the complainant as "pitiable".
Akash Saxena, son of ex-minister Shiv Bahadur Saxena, had made a complaint against Abdullah with the Income Tax department and the Election Commission.
According to the complaint, Abdullah mentioned his date of birth as September 30, 1990 in his nomination papers while in income tax return for 2016-17 his date of birth was mentioned January 1, 1993, district magistrate Awasthi said.

It was alleged that Abdullah had obtained two PAN against rules during the Samajwadi Party rule in UP, in which his father was a cabinet minister, he said.
The EC had instructed district officials to enquire and ascertain whether the information in Abdullah's nomination papers were fictitious and if he was eligible, according to age, to contest assembly polls.
The complainant had claimed that Abdullah was below 25 years of age and expressed astonishment that the said count was ignored by returning officer and termed him as biased.