Today(on 6th April), Delhi court reserves order on ED’s plea against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for allegedly evading summons in a money laundering case linked to Delhi Waqf Board irregularities.
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NEW DELHI: Today(on 6th April), A Delhi court has reserved its order on an application filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan regarding the evasion of summons in a money laundering case. The case revolves around alleged irregularities in appointments made by the Delhi Waqf Board.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra is expected to make a decision on April 9 regarding summoning Khan to respond to the ED’s plea.
The ED has accused Khan of escalating his role from a witness to an accused in the case by filing an anticipatory bail plea and evading the investigation. Special Public Prosecutor Simon Benjamin, representing the ED, emphasized that Khan’s involvement in the case goes beyond that of the other accused individuals who have already been arrested and charge-sheeted.
ALSO READ: ED Files Complaint Against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for Non-Compliance with Summons in Delhi Court
Benjamin stated-
“All other individuals are assistants to this specific individual. His involvement exceeds that of the other accused persons who have already been apprehended and charged.”
Although Khan, the Okhla MLA of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was not named as an accused in the recent chargesheet filed by the ED, the agency has included five entities in its prosecution complaint. Among these entities are three suspected associates of Khan, namely Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir, and Jawed Imam Siddiqui.
The ED conducted raids in October of the previous year on premises connected to Khan and other individuals. During the raids, the agency alleged that the AAP MLA had acquired “huge proceeds of crime” in cash through illegal staff recruitment in the Delhi Waqf Board. Khan then allegedly invested these proceeds in purchasing immovable assets in the names of his associates during his tenure as the Board’s chairperson from 2018 to 2022.
The money laundering case originated from an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and three complaints filed by the Delhi Police. The ED has seized several incriminating materials, both physical and digital, during the raids, providing evidence of Khan’s involvement in the money laundering offense.
In relation to the Waqf Board money laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate filed a complaint at the Rouse Avenue court after AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan failed to comply with the agency’s summons. The complaint was filed under sections 190 and 200 of the Criminal Procedure Code, citing the MLA’s non-compliance with the summons issued under Section 50 of the PML Act (power to issue summons) and his refusal to cooperate with the investigation.
Earlier, Khan’s anticipatory bail plea in the case was rejected by the court. According to the ED’s case, Khan is alleged to have acquired “huge proceeds of crime” in cash through illicit staff recruitment and then invested the funds to purchase immovable assets under the names of his associates. The ED had previously filed a prosecution complaint against five entities, including three alleged associates of Khan, who were arrested by the agency in November 2023.
While Khan was not named as an accused in the chargesheet, the agency has claimed that the properties were purchased at his behest, further implicating him in the case.
