Samajwadi Party leader and former Lok Sabha MP Azam Khan was given a rousing welcome by his supporters as he walked out of prison on bail after two years of incarceration on Tuesday.
Hundreds of supporters had gathered outside the Sitapur district jail since morning, leading to chaos and traffic congestion, prompting the district administration to issue prohibitory orders in the area.
The traffic police issued challans to several vehicles that had gathered in violation of restrictions.
SP MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav had also reached Sitapur to receive his party colleague. Talking to reporters, Shivpal attacked the Yogi Adityanath government and alleged that Khan was “framed” in false cases.
"Azam Khan was framed by the government in false cases. However, the court has granted him bail and has provided relief to him in cases. I welcome this decision,” Shivpal said.
City Circle Officer Vinayak Bhosle said the crowd created chaos outside the prison, though the prohibitory orders were in place.
"There was chaos and rush despite Section 163 being in force. Vehicles were not allowed to come close to the jail, but they somehow managed to reach there. Action had to be taken to avoid further complications," he told PTI news agency.
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday granted bail to Khan in the Quality Bar land encroachment case in Rampur district. His release, which was expected in the morning, was briefly delayed due to pending court proceedings.
"Azam Khan is the hero of the day. I am here with all his supporters to welcome him. I have nothing more to say. Whatever has to be said, my father will say after coming out of jail,” his son Adeeb told reporters.
The Quality Bar is located in Said Nagar Hardoi Patti on the highway under the Civil Lines police station. Khan had not been named in the first FIR filed in 2019, but when the case was re-investigated after five years, the SP leader was made an accused.