Azam Khan finally released, greeted by Shivpal

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohd Azam Khan walked out of jail after 27 months on Friday morning.

He was received by senior party leader Shivpal Yadav and Ashu Malik and scores of supporters. His sons were also present on the occasion.

From the jail, he went straight to the residence of SP MLA Anup Gupta and later left for Rampur.

A heavy posse of policemen was posted outside the Sitapur jail to control the crowds.

Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Lohia (PSPL) president Shivpal Singh Yadav had left for Sitapur early on Friday morning to receive Azam Khan on his release.

"A new sun is rising on the state's horizon," he tweeted.

"He does not want any fanfare outside the jail and will go to his home in Rampur," said an aide of the MLA.

His wife Tanzeen Fatima thanked all "those who visited us and extended their support to us in our hour of crisis".

Azam Khan was booked in a total of 89 cases related to book theft, buffalo theft, goat theft, land encroachment, land grabbing, forgery, fraud and power theft.

The Supreme Court had granted him interim bail on Thursday, giving the much-needed respite to the veteran leader.

His son Abdullah Azam tweeted that his father's release would bring him "like a sun out of the jail and the morning rays would eliminate the darkness of tyranny".