Delhi Rouse Avenue court grants bail to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in Waqf Board case
Delhi Rouse Avenue court grants bail to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in Waqf Board case
M.U.H
27/04/202460
Delhi Rouse Avenue court on Saturday granted bail to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in the case registered on the complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate against him. The court granted him bail on a personal bond of ₹15,000 and one surety of like amount.
ED recently had moved a complaint against him for not appearing before the agency and not joining the probe in the case related to the alleged irregularities in appointment in Delhi Waqf Board and leasing of its properties.
Amanatullah Khan appeared in court in response to summons issued to him. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra noted his presence, granting him bail on a personal bond of ₹15,000 and one surety of the same amount.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently filed a complaint against him for failing to appear before the agency and participate in the investigation related to alleged irregularities in appointments at the Delhi Waqf Board and leasing of its properties. The complaint was filed under section 174 of the IPC, 1860, read with section 63 (4) of PMLA, 2002, for non-attendance in compliance with Section 50, PMLA, 2002.
Special Public Prosecutor Simon Benjamin represented the Enforcement Directorate in the matter. The agency alleges that Amanatullah Khan escalated his role from a witness to an accused by filing an anticipatory bail plea and avoiding the investigation. The ED's lawyer further stated that the probe against him couldn't be concluded because he failed to present himself before the agency.
According to Advocate Simon Benjamin, all other individuals involved are aides of Amanatullah Khan, whose role is much larger than that of the other accused persons who have already been arrested and charged.
On March 1, the Rouse Avenue court dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a case related to the purchase of a property worth ₹36 crore in the Okhla area, allegedly at his behest. A charge sheet has already been filed against four accused individuals and one firm. It is alleged that ₹100 crore worth of Waqf properties were illegally leased out and 32 contractual employees were appointed in the Delhi Waqf Board during Amanatullah Khan's chairmanship, violating rules.
What are the accusations against Amanatullah Khan?
According to complaints, he allegedly obtained a large amount of cash through illegal staff recruitment at the Delhi Waqf Board and used it to buy properties in the names of his associates. The Supreme Court recently denied his anticipatory bail and instructed him to appear before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning. Following this, he went to the ED office on Thursday and was arrested hours later, as claimed by AAP.