28 Apr. 24: A Delhi court has granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan in a case related to alleged evasion of Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering probe. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra granted bail to Khan on a personal bond of Rs 15,000 and one surety of a similar amount after he appeared before the court.
The ED had filed a complaint against Khan earlier this month, accusing him of not complying with its summons issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency alleged that Khan acquired significant proceeds of crime through illegal recruitment in the Waqf Board and invested the amount in immovable assets in the names of his aides.
According to Special Public Prosecutor Simon Benjamin, appearing for the ED, Khan’s failure to appear before the agency hindered the probe. The ED alleges that Khan elevated his status from a witness to an accused by filing an anticipatory bail plea and avoiding the investigation.
The money laundering case pertains to the purchase of a property worth Rs 36 crore in the Okhla area, allegedly at Khan’s behest. Khan, who is also the sitting MLA from Okhla, faces accusations of appointing 32 contractual employees in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship.
The ED has already filed a chargesheet against four accused individuals and one firm, alleging that Rs 100 crore worth of Waqf properties were leased illegally. The investigation into the case continues as authorities seek to unravel the alleged financial irregularities.
