Why did ED arrest AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan? What is the case? Explained
ED arrested AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with a money laundering case related to the financial irregularities pertaining to the Delhi Waqf Board.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with a money laundering case related to the financial irregularities pertaining to the Delhi Waqf Board. Khan was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the agency conducted a search at his residence in the Okhla area in Delhi at around 6:30 am.
Shortly before his arrest, Khan, in a video message, said that the probe agency's aim was just to arrest and harass him.
“ED has arrived at my house to arrest me…Just now, early in the morning, at the behest of the dictator, his puppet ED has reached my house; the dictator is leaving no stone unturned in harassing me and AAP leaders. I am ready to go to jail and I believe that the court will give me justice,” he said in Hindi.
Also read: AAP hails ‘revolutionary’ Amanatullah Khan; BJP says ‘law taking its course’
Why was Amanatullah Khan arrested?
The AAP MLA's arrest comes weeks after the Delhi high court refused to stay the proceedings pending against Khan before the trial court for non-compliance with the summons issued to him in the Delhi Waqf Board case and sought ED's response to Khan’s petition.
Khan evaded at least ten ED summons since he was last questioned in the case in April, reported PTI.
Earlier, Khan had sought to set aside the city court’s July 31 order, which upheld the magistrate court’s April 9 order issuing summons to him in a complaint filed by the ED, alleging non-compliance of the summons by the agency in connection with the money laundering case.
On April 4, the ED filed a complaint against Khan under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) sections 190, read with Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 174 and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) section 63(4) for not complying with summons issued to him under PMLA section 50, which grants the agency the power to issue summons.
What is the Delhi Waqf Board case?
The money laundering case related to the financial irregularities pertaining to the Delhi Waqf Board stems from two FIRs - one by the CBI regarding alleged irregularities in the Wakf Board and another by the Delhi ACB regarding an alleged possession of disproportionate assets.
The ED also filed a first information report (FIR) based on the CBI's FIR against Khan. According to the CBI, Khan illegally appointed various persons to the Delhi Waqf Board against non-sanctioned and non-existent vacancies, which caused financial loss to the Delhi government and illegal gains to himself.
Meanwhile, the ED, in its chargesheet, said that Khan laundered his illegal gains by purchasing immovable properties through his associates - Jawed Imam Siddiqui, Daud Nasir, Zeeshan Haider, and Kausar Imam Siddiqui.
