 "Waqf Board Case: Court sends AAP MLA Amanatullah to four-day ACB remand")
A special court on Saturday granted a four-day remand to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) to interrogate Amanatullah Khan, AAP MLA from Okhla, in a case related to the alleged misappropriation of Delhi Waqf Board funds during his tenure as chairman.
Special CBI Judge Vikas Dhull granted the remand after hearing the submission of counsels for ACB and AAP MLA. Amanatullah Khan was arrested on Friday. He was produced in court on Saturday. His bail will be heard after the expiry of the remand.
ACB sought a 14-day remand to interrogate Amanatullah Khan in order to unearth the conspiracy in the matter and to arrest other accused.
Additional public prosecutors Atul Srivastava and Manish Rawat submitted that the case is of misappropriation of Waqf fund during the tenure of the accused as chairman.
The prosecutor argued that the accused appointed on the board his relatives and near and dear in violation of rules and regulations.
The prosecutor also produced in court a diary to show there was evidence related to violations of norms against the accused. It was also alleged that there were entries in the diary, some mentioning amounts to the tune of crores of rupees, to indicate there was wrong-doing.
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It was also mentioned that four teams were constituted and led by ACP Rajender went to investigate the matter. However, the ACP was also manhandled and beaten by the people. Three FIRs have been lodged in this regard.
The prosecutor also referred to a statement of one Hamid Ali from whom rupees 12 Lakh cash, one country-made pistol and cartridges were recovered. the prosecution claimed that Ali said he is in the property business and was looking after the finances of Amanatullah.
The prosecution also produced some documents of a property in the New Friends Colony worth 14 crores. Sale documents of properties at Telangana, Uttarakhand and other many places were also produced in the court.
It was also alleged that the AAP MLA was also an accused in former Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash assault case.
In response to a query by the court, the prosecutor said there were 15 properties and there was misappropriation of rent. The accused has not disclosed this amount, they claimed.
The court asked who was the complainant in this case. This case was registered on the complaint of Hafiz Irashad Qureshi, the prosecutor replied.
While opposing the remand application the senior advocate Rahul Mehra for AAP MLA submitted there were no documents and material to establish the allegations levelled by the prosecution.
He said that it is alleged the funds of widows are misused. Absolutely no documents to relate to how the find was misappropriated. It is a fishing and roving inquiry to extract admission, he said.
Mehra further argued that there is umbrella protection for members of the board who are working in the good faith and something is done out of the provisions and scope of this Waqf Act. He argued that there are irregularities in relation to appointments, that can not be called illegality. Where is the illegality in the appointment of the employees' board may appoint according to its need?
The senior advocate argued that the accused is not to prove that he is innocent. They (the prosecution) have to prove that he is guilty.
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