Prayagraj, Sep 10 : The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday granted bail to senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Azam Khan in the Dungarpur colony eviction case of Rampur.

Khan had moved the high court challenging a 10-year jail sentence awarded to him last year by a special MP/MLA court in Rampur.

The case pertains to the alleged forced eviction of residents from Dungarpur colony in Rampur, in which several complaints of assault, robbery, and intimidation were filed.

Justice Sameer Jain, who had reserved the order on August 12, allowed the bail plea filed by Khan.

Alongside Khan, a co-accused contractor, Barkat Ali -- who was sentenced to seven years by the Rampur court -- had also sought relief from the high court.

The Rampur MP/MLA court had, on May 30, 2023, convicted Khan and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He was found guilty in a case lodged at Ganj police station in August 2019 on the basis of a complaint filed by one Abrar.

The complainant alleged that in December 2016, Khan, along with retired circle officer Ale Hasan Khan and contractor Barkat Ali, physically assaulted him, issued threats to his life, and demolished his property.

Following Abrar's complaint, several residents of Dungarpur colony also came forward, alleging that they were forcibly evicted from their homes. A total of 12 cases were filed against Khan and others, including charges of robbery, theft, assault, and criminal intimidation.

Khan, a powerful SP leader from Rampur and a long-time adversary of the ruling BJP, has been facing several criminal cases in his home district over the past few years.

His bail in the Dungarpur case is seen as a major legal relief for him, though his appeals in other matters remain pending.

/IANS