Meerut, May 24 -- The MP-MLA Sessions Court has enhanced the punishment awarded to senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan while granting partial relief to his son Abdullah Azam, in a ruling in the two PAN card case. Accepting the government's appeal seeking stricter punishment, the court increased Azam Khan's sentence from seven years to 10 years of imprisonment. The court also raised the fine imposed on him from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh. However, Abdullah Azam received partial relief from the court. While his seven-year prison sentence was upheld, the fine imposed on him was increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 4 lakh, adding an extra financial penalty of Rs 3.5 lakh. The case relates to allegations concerning two PAN cards and alleged manipulation of official documents. In November 2025, a Magistrate Court had convicted both Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam, sentencing them to seven years in jail along with fines of Rs 50,000 each. Following the conviction, the defence challenged the sentence in appeal, while the prosecution moved the MP-MLA Sessions Court demanding enhancement of punishment. After hearing arguments from both sides, the Sessions Court delivered its verdict on Saturday. The court accepted the prosecution's contention that offences involving fraud and tampering with constitutional documents warranted stricter punishment. Consequently, the punishment awarded to Azam Khan was enhanced substantially. Both Azam Khan and Abdullah Azam have remained lodged in jail since their conviction in November 2025. The latest ruling comes close on the heels of another setback for Azam Khan earlier this month. On May 16, a court sentenced him to two years' imprisonment in a separate case linked to remarks made during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign. The case stemmed from a controversial statement allegedly made by Azam Khan during a roadshow in the Bhot area of Rampur, where he reportedly referred to the then district magistrate as "tanakhaiya" and claimed he would make him clean shoes. A video of the remarks later went viral on social media. At the time, the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance was jointly contesting the Lok Sabha elections, and Azam Khan was the alliance candidate from the Rampur parliamentary constituency. Following the circulation of the video, the Election Commission sought a report from the State Election Commission, which subsequently directed district authorities to initiate action. Acting on those instructions, Ghanshyam Tripathi, then Assistant Returning Officer of Chamraua Assembly constituency and SDM of Tanda, lodged a case on May 11, 2019, at Bhot police station in Rampur. After investigation, police filed a chargesheet in court. Upon completion of the trial, the MP-MLA Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate Shobhit Bansal found Azam Khan guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison along with a fine of Rs 20,000. During the hearing in the DM remarks case, Azam Khan attended proceedings through video conferencing from jail....