Why was AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan arrested?
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering case related to financial irregularities involving the Delhi Waqf Board. The agency detained Khan under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after it conducted searches at his residence in Delhi’s Okhla area around 6:30 am on Monday. Shortly before his arrest, Khan released a video saying the probe agency’s aim was only to arrest and harass him.
Khan said, “ED has reached my house to arrest me… Right now, early in the morning, on the orders of the dictator, his puppet ED has reached my house; the dictator is leaving no stone unturned to harass me and you leaders. I am ready to go to jail and I am confident that the court will give me justice.”
ED has presented Amanatullah Khan in the court of Special Judge Rakesh Syal of Rouse Avenue Court in the money laundering case related to financial irregularities in the Waqf Board. ED told the court that Amanatullah Khan has been arrested at 11:20 am today. Four accused were arrested earlier in this case. They are in judicial custody and the court has rejected their regular bail plea.
What did Amanatullah Khan say, watch the video
Know why Amanatullah Khan was arrested?
The AAP MLA’s arrest comes a few weeks after the Delhi High Court refused to stay proceedings pending against Khan in a trial court for non-compliance of summons issued to him in the Delhi Waqf Board case and sought the ED’s response on Khan’s plea. Khan has dodged at least ten ED summons since he was last questioned in the case in April, PTI reported.
Earlier, Khan had sought quashing of the July 31 order of the city court which had upheld the April 9 order of a magistrate court issuing summons to him in a complaint filed by the ED alleging non-compliance of summons by the agency in the money laundering case.
On April 4, the ED filed a complaint against Khan under Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 63(4) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for non-compliance. He was issued summons under PMLA Section 50, which gives the agency power to issue summons.
What is the Delhi Waqf Board case?
The money laundering case relating to financial irregularities involving the Delhi Waqf Board is linked to two FIRs – one by the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board and the other by the Delhi ACB in connection with alleged possession of disproportionate assets.
The ED also registered a first information report (FIR) against Khan based on the CBI FIR. According to the CBI, Khan illegally appointed various persons in the Delhi Waqf Board against non-sanctioned and non-existent vacancies, causing financial loss to the Delhi government and illegal gains to himself. Meanwhile, the ED said in its chargesheet that Khan legalised his illegal gains by purchasing immovable properties through his associates – Javed Imam Siddiqui, Dawood Nasir, Zeeshan Haider and Kausar Imam Siddiqui.
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