New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (I-T) Department were on Wednesday conducting simultaneous raids at multiple locations linked to senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan.

The I-T raids were reportedly related to the Al Jauhar Trust, which is headed by Khan, a former Cabinet Minister.

According to information, the search operations are currently underway in Lucknow, Rampur, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, and Sitapur.

Earlier this year, the Uttar Pradesh government revoked a lease for a 3.24-acre plot in Rampur that had been granted to the Trust for the purpose of establishing a research institute.

This lease, originally signed in the fiscal year 2013-14, had a nominal annual fee of Rs 100 and was intended to last for over three decades.

The government took this action following allegations of irregularities, and despite the long-standing lease, the research institute was never constructed.

The I-T Department and the ED are yet to officially comment on Wednesday's raids.

Further details are awaited.