Waqf Board case: Delhi court asks ED to release AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan

A Delhi court on Thursday ordered the release of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board case. The court also refused to take cognisance of a chargesheet filed against Amanatullah Khan.

Special Judge Jitendra Singh said while there was sufficient evidence against Amanatullah Khan to proceed against him, there was no sanction to prosecute him.

“Therefore, the cognisance is declined,” the judge said.

The court directed that Amanatullah Khan be released from judicial custody forthwith on a bail bond of ₹one lakh and one surety of the like amount.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on October 29 filed a 110-page first supplementary prosecution complaint (ED’s equivalent of a chargesheet), claiming Amanatullah Khan laundered money that was allegedly generated through corruption in the Delhi Waqf Board.

The chargesheet had also named Mariam Siddiqui, who was not arrested as an accused by the ED in the case. The court said there was no evidence to proceed against Siddiqui and discharged her.

Speaking to ANI, counsel for Khan, Rajat Bhardwaj, said, “The court has declined to take cognizance against Amanatullah Khan because there was no sanction against him, and the court has directed his release with the surety of Rs. one lakh. There’s no evidence against accused number seven, Mariam Siddiqui, therefore no summons have been issued against her”.

The money laundering case concerns alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf board during Khan’s tenure as its chairman between 2016 and 2021. According to the ED, Khan illegally appointed members to the board, leading to an alleged loss to the exchequer. The agency also alleged that Khan’s agents laundered ₹36 crore into various properties.

The ED registered the case based on two FIRs. An FIR by the CBI alleged irregularities in appointments to the Waqf Board, while another one by Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets by Khan.