Now Reading: No relief for Azam Khan: SC transfers PMLA case to Allahabad HC
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No relief for Azam Khan: SC transfers PMLA case to Allahabad HC
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court on Thursday, 5 November 2026 declined to entertain Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan's plea challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, directing the Allahabad High Court to hear the matter. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana ordered the registry to transfer the record within two days and asked the High Court to list it before a Division Bench on 16 November.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khan, argued that 26 FIRs were lodged in 2019 over alleged incidents from 2006, and that the 78-year-old former UP minister was arrested on 31 October shortly after securing bail in his last case. Khan has reportedly been named in 95 cases since 2017, with six convictions and 80 pending trial. The court said it expressed no opinion on merits and kept all contentions open. Khan, in his petition, alleged the arrest was politically motivated to keep him behind bars ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Update, 5 November 2026: Times Now reports the CJI observed the court did not want to 'demoralise' the High Court, and that Sibal argued Khan faces 28 cases under one ECIR, calling it 'pure persecution'. Times of India adds that Khan sought interim bail under Article 142, claiming the arrest was without a memo. All three outlets confirm the 16 November hearing.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All three sources report the same outcome, the Supreme Court refused to hear Azam Khan's plea and transferred it to the Allahabad High Court, but differ in framing. Verdictum.in and Times of India lead with the court's procedural direction and timeline, while Times Now leads with the CJI's remark about not demoralising the High Court, framing it as a refusal of immediate relief. Times of India alone includes Khan's allegation of an arrest without a memo, and both Times of India and Times Now emphasise the political persecution argument. Times Now highlights Sibal's claim that the ED action is timed before elections. The uniform coverage confirms the court's refusal to intervene directly and the November 16 hearing date.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): verdictum.in (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), timesnownews.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
