The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) regarding a plea filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan, who is contesting his recent arrest under charges of money laundering. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna has directed the ED to submit a status report within two weeks and scheduled the next hearing for October 18.
Khan, who was the chairperson of the Delhi Waqf Board, was taken into custody on September 2 following a raid at his residence in Okhla by the ED. He is currently held in judicial custody awaiting further proceedings until September 23. The charges against him stem from his tenure at the Waqf Board from 2018 to 2022, during which he allegedly engaged in illegal staffing and misappropriated board properties for personal gain.
The arrest has sparked controversy and legal battles, with Khan’s counsel challenging the arrest as “illegal and unconstitutional.” They argued that the remand order was mechanical and lacked substantial grounding, thereby requesting the court to quash the arrest and grant interim relief by releasing Khan until the petition is resolved.
During the court session, ED’s counsel raised concerns about the maintainability of Khan’s petition, suggesting that there was suppression of crucial facts, particularly related to the dismissal of his anticipatory bail plea by another high court bench. This earlier plea was also brought before the Supreme Court, which chose not to interfere, leading to its withdrawal.
Despite these claims, Khan’s lawyer insisted that the petition disclosed all relevant facts and that no information had been concealed. The ED, in its preliminary investigations, alleged that Khan and three associates were involved in a larger scheme of financial irregularities, including the “unfair” leasing of Waqf Board properties and illegal recruitment, funneling illicit funds into real estate and other investments.
