Why Was AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan Arrested by the ED? Case Details Explained
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in connection with a money laundering investigation involving financial misconduct related to the Delhi Waqf Board. Khan’s arrest was executed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after ED officials conducted a raid at his residence in Delhi’s Okhla area early in the morning around 6:30 am.
Khan expressed his frustration, stating, “The ED has come to arrest me… They arrived at my house early this morning, acting on the orders of the dictator. He is sparing no effort to harass me and other AAP leaders. I am prepared to go to jail and have faith that the court will grant me justice,” he said in Hindi.
**Reasons Behind Amanatullah Khan’s Arrest**
Khan’s arrest follows the Delhi High Court’s decision to refuse a stay on the ongoing proceedings against him in the trial court for not complying with summons issued in the Delhi Waqf Board case. The court had also asked the ED to respond to Khan’s petition. Reports indicate that Khan avoided at least ten summons from the ED since he was last questioned in April.
Previously, Khan attempted to challenge the city court’s order dated July 31, which upheld an earlier magistrate court ruling from April 9, requiring him to respond to a complaint filed by the ED alleging his failure to comply with summons related to the money laundering case.
On April 4, the ED filed a complaint against Khan under various sections, including Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 63(4) of the PMLA. These sections deal with his failure to comply with the summons that were sent to him under Section 50 of the PMLA, which gives the ED the right to do so.
Details of the Delhi Waqf Board Case
The core claims of financial impropriety in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case are detailed in two FIRs. One FIR was lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board, while another was filed by the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) concerning the suspected possession of disproportionate assets.
The ED subsequently registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on the CBI’s findings against Khan. According to the CBI, Khan unlawfully appointed several individuals to the Delhi Waqf Board in unauthorized and non-existent positions, resulting in financial losses to the Delhi government and illicit gains for himself.
In its chargesheet, the ED claimed that Khan laundered his illegal earnings by purchasing real estate properties through his associates, namely Jawed Imam Siddiqui, Daud Nasir, Zeeshan Haider, and Kausar Imam Siddiqui.
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