Delhi Waqf money-laundering case: Court to pass order on AAP MLA’s anticipatory bail plea on March 1

A local court will pronounce on March 1 its order on the application of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who is seeking anticipatory bail in a money-laundering case related to alleged irregularities at the Delhi Waqf Board in hiring staff and leasing out assets during his chairmanship.

Special Judge Rakesh Syal reserved the order after hearing arguments from the counsel appearing for Khan and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the application, which has said the MLA anticipates being arrested by the central probe agency in the case.

During the arguments, the ED opposed the application and claimed that Khan may not cooperate in the investigation if he is granted pre-arrest bail.

Khan, the AAP’s Okhla MLA, was not named as an accused in the charge sheet that the ED recently filed.

The agency has named five entities in its prosecution complaint (the ED’s equivalent of a charge sheet) that included three suspected associates of Khan — Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Imam Siddiqui.

The ED, after conducting raids on premises linked to Khan and some others in October, had claimed that the AAP MLA acquired “huge proceeds of crime” in cash from illegal recruitment of staff to the Delhi Waqf Board and invested those for purchasing immovable assets in the name of his associates.

Also Read

• Delhi Waqf Board money-laundering case: Court seeks ED response on AAP MLA’s anticipatory bail plea
• Delhi Waqf Board Money-Laundering case: Court directs ED to respond to AAP MLA’s bail plea
• AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan Moves HC against ED Summons
• SC to hear AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan’s plea against police decision to declare him ‘bad character’
• Delhi court denies ‘default bail’ to three PFI members

The searches were conducted in the case related to illegal recruitment of staff and illegitimate personal gains made by the accused by way of unfairly leasing Waqf Board properties during 2018-2022 when Khan was its chairperson, the ED has said.

The money-laundering case stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and three Delhi Police complaints.

The ED alleged that Khan “acquired huge proceeds of crime out of the said criminal activities in cash and this cash amount was invested in purchase of various immovable properties in Delhi in the name of his associates”.

Several “incriminating” material in the form of physical and digital evidence were seized during the raids, indicating Khan’s involvement in the offence of money laundering, it has said.