ED quizzes AAP MLA in Waqf case for 13+ hours
NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday, in connection with a money laundering probe related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board (DWB).
People aware of the matter said late on Friday that Khan has been summoned for questioning next week.
The Supreme Court had on April 15 refused to entertain Khan’s plea seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
ED officials said Khan was quizzed about cash payments worth over ₹8 crore allegedly made by him to acquire a 1,200 square yards property in Jamia Nagar with the help of his associates. The people cited above said Khan reached the ED headquarters at around 11am and left after 12.30am. The AAP claimed Khan was arrested on Thursday night. Senior party leaders Sanjay Singh and Atishi visited his house in Okhla late on Thursday evening.
“AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan ji has been arrested. ED has no evidence. This is another conspiracy against AAP… ED has no proof, documents or proceeds of crime. This is a political conspiracy against AAP,” Atishi said.
ED officers, however, said till the time of going to press that Khan had not been arrested yet. According to ED, Khan was asked about alleged illegal appointments in the Waqf Board in violation of government guidelines and rules when he was the board chairman.
The federal agency filed a charge sheet in the case against Khan’s alleged associates — Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir, Jawed Imam Siddiqui and Kausar Imam Siddiqui — in January this year.
The ED probe stems from a
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) first information report (FIR) as well as three Delhi Police complaints.
CBI alleged that Khan, the Okhla legislator, acquired huge proceeds of crime in cash through illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested those to purchase immovable assets in the name of his associates. It also claimed that staff was recruited illegally and illegal personal gains were made by unfairly leasing the Waqf Board properties during Khan’s chairmanship between 2018 and 2022.
The AAP said in October last year that the investigation was among the false cases which were filed against party leaders.
ED’S charge sheet, seen by HT, said: “Amanatullah Khan has acquired huge cash amounts being proceeds of crime out of criminal activities relating to his corrupt and illegal activities relating to illegal recruitment of persons in Delhi Waqf Board, leasing out properties of DWB in unfair and illegal manner, misappropriation of DWB funds, including others during his tenure as a public servant – Chairman of DWB and MLA from Okhla during 2015 onwards.”
The agency further alleged that in order to the money, Khan hatched a criminal conspiracy and “invested his ill-gotten money in the immovable properties through his associates named – Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and others”.
“He purchased immovable properties in the name of his benamidar (unnamed) – Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir - by concealing and suppressing their actual value which is very nominal in comparison to their actual sale value and actively concealed amounts that were paid in cash to the seller which are nothing but proceeds of crime acquired by Amanatullah Khan out of his corrupt and illegal activities,” the charge sheet said.
The 1,200 square yards property in question is located at Tikona Park in the Jamia Nagar area , owned by Jawed Imam Siddiqui’s wife Ayesha Quamar, ED has found.it was to be transferred to Khan’s aides – Haider and Nasir – in 2021 through an agreement to sell for a consideration amount of ₹36 crore.
The federal agency recovered a white diary from Siddiqui, which, according to ED, reveals cash transactions running into crores of rupees exchanged between him, Khan, Haider and Nasir.