Delhi Court Grants Bail to AAP’s Amanatullah Khan, Calls ED Custody ‘Illegal’ in Waqf Board Case

Delhi Court Grants Bail to AAP’s Amanatullah Khan: A Delhi court on Thursday ordered the release of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan on bail after refusing to take cognisance of supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate against him in the Waqf Board case.

Special judge Jitendra Singh of the Rouse Avenue Court on Thursday refused to take cognisance of the chargesheet, holding that while "there was sufficient evidence to prosecute him" in the case, there was however "no sanction to prosecute him".

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The court meanwhile ordered the release of Khan from judicial custody on bail.

The ED had, in its preliminary hearings before the court, suggested that it exercise cognisance of the supplementary chargesheet filed against Khan, drawing attention to the fact that it had sufficient prima facie evidence to prosecute him for specific provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, or PMLA.

The ED had filed the first supplementary chargesheet in the matter on October 29, which ran into 110 pages, also naming his wife Maryam Siddiqui.

These names have cropped up for the first time after the ED named them in the supplementary chargesheet as it had filed the first chargesheet in the matter on January 9 against four persons for alleged irregularities in appointment to posts of the Delhi Waqf Board.

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While the four persons, Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir, Kausar Imam Siddiqui, and Jawed Imam Siddiqui are present in judicial custody at present since they were arrested in the case, Khan was arrested only on September 2 after the ED carried out raids at his Okhla residence.

The Khan had simultaneously filed a bail application in the present matter.

The ED probe comes in the wake of two FIRs. The cases include the CBI case related to the alleged irregularity in the Waqf Board and the alleged disproportionate assets case registered by the Delhi Police's anti-corruption unit.

ED has told the court that Khan had "huge proceeds of crime" in cash thought illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested the money received on buy immovable assets in the name of his associates.

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