ED Attaches ₹426.46 Crore Worth of Property at Jauhar University in Money Laundering Probe

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached land and buildings worth ₹426.46 crore at Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, as part of a money laundering investigation linked to former cabinet minister Mohammad Azam Khan, the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust and others. The attached properties have an estimated current market value of approximately ₹1,170 crore.

The action was taken by the ED's Lucknow Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency's investigation centres on allegations that government funds and construction materials were diverted for the development of the university campus.

Investigation Raises Questions Over Government Funds

According to the ED, its investigation uncovered allegations that funds and materials meant for government construction projects were used within the university premises. The agency alleges that some contractors who received government projects spent a portion of their contract payments on university construction and also donated money to the trust.

The managing director of one contractor company reportedly acknowledged that 30–40% of the contract amount was used to purchase construction materials. Investigators also examined works worth ₹6.60 crore reportedly financed through funds allocated by a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC).

The probe further identified allegations involving the construction of a pandhal, a student hostel and a hospital block using government funds, alongside questions over changes in the ownership of government property.

How Did the ED Calculate the ₹426.46 Crore Attachment?

An independent valuation estimated the total cost of the university campus at ₹499.09 crore. According to the ED, expenditure of only ₹72.63 crore could be accounted for through legitimate sources.

The agency treated the remaining ₹426.46 crore as alleged proceeds of crime and provisionally attached property of equivalent value under the anti-money laundering law.

The difference between the estimated construction cost and the expenditure supported by legitimate sources forms a central part of the agency's financial investigation. The attached property's estimated market value of ₹1,170 crore is substantially higher than the amount provisionally attached.

Probe Also Covers Land and Other Alleged Irregularities

The investigation extends beyond the university's construction expenditure. The ED is also examining allegations involving the occupation of farmers' land, enemy property and other criminal cases connected with the matter.

In August 2026, the agency conducted searches at locations associated with the university premises and seized electronic devices and documents as part of its investigation.

The ED has stated that the investigation is continuing. The allegations remain subject to the legal process, and provisional attachment does not by itself establish criminal guilt.