Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan was released from the Sitapur jail in Uttar Pradesh on Friday morning, a day after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in an alleged cheating case.

Khan's son and MLA Abdullah Azam, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) leader Shivpal Singh Yadav and a large number of supporters welcomed the senior SP leader upon his release.

He left for his native Rampur following the release.

The jailor of Sitapur prison, R S Yadav, said the release order was received around 11 pm on Thursday and after following all procedures, Azam Khan was released around 8 am on Friday.

The Supreme Court granted him interim bail on Thursday. A local MP-MLA court had sent a letter to the Sitapur Jail administration late in the night seeking the release of the senior SP leader.

Azam Khan was lodged in jail for the last 27 months in connection with several cases, including that of land grabbing. The grant of the interim bail by the Supreme Court paved the way for his release from prison.