The teacher with alleged illegal Pakistan links continued to draw salary, medical leave benefits and retirement dues for years despite settling in the UK
Lucknow – In a strong administrative action, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended four officials of the Minority Welfare Department for facilitating irregular payments to Azamgarh-based madrasa teacher Shamshul Huda Khan, who allegedly maintained unauthorised links with Pakistan and continued receiving salary and retirement benefits long after acquiring UK citizenship.
Those suspended include Joint Director (Minority Welfare) S.N. Pandey, former Azamgarh District Minority Welfare Officer (DMWO) Sahitya Nikash Singh, and officers Lalman and Prabhat Kumar. Singh, Lalman and Kumar were currently posted as DMWOs in Ghaziabad, Bareilly and Amethi, respectively.
Algoritha: The Most Trusted Name in BFSI Investigations and DFIR Services
ATS and department probe found widespread procedural violations
Investigations conducted jointly by the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Minority Welfare Department revealed that Shamshul Huda Khan, a teacher at Darul Uloom Ahle Sunnat Madrasa Ashrafia Misbahul Uloom in Azamgarh, had obtained UK citizenship on 19 December 2013. Despite this, with the alleged collusion of the madrasa management, principal and departmental officials, he continued to draw a salary till 31 July 2017.
During this period, he was also granted irregular medical leave, and after opting for voluntary retirement, received GPF, pension and other retirement benefits—all deemed unlawful.
The probe further highlighted that Khan travelled extensively to Australia, Britain, Singapore and Sri Lanka, and visited Pakistan two to three times from Gulf countries, despite being employed as a madrasa teacher in Uttar Pradesh.
JD and three DMWOs suspended; postings changed during suspension
The government has suspended Joint Director S.N. Pandey for approving irregular retirement benefits. He will remain attached to the Commissioner’s Office, Jhansi, during the suspension period.
Similarly, DMWOs Sahitya Nikash Singh, Lalman and Prabhat Kumar—suspended for enabling unlawful salary disbursement and pay increments—have been attached to the Directorate of Minority Welfare, Lucknow until further orders.
Officials confirmed that a recovery order of ₹16.59 lakh has already been issued against Shamshul Huda Khan.
Case reflects deeper lapses within administrative oversight
The incident has drawn attention to serious procedural gaps within the district-level monitoring system. Despite Khan’s foreign citizenship, multiple international travels and questionable affiliations, official records continued to reflect him as an active madrasa employee for nearly four years.
The state government has indicated that more accountability measures may follow as the inquiry progresses.
