Delhi Waqf Board case: ED moves court for arrest warrant against AAP MLA

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday moved a Delhi court seeking arrest warrant against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in appointments in the Delhi Waqf Board.

Special Judge for CBI and ED, Rakesh Syal, posted the matter for April 18 after the ED sought time to file certain documents in support of the application.

"Fresh application for issuance of open ended non-bailable warrant against Amanatullah Khan has been received from the Bail and Filing Section. It be checked and registered as per rules SPP (special public prosecutor) for ED seeks some time to file certain documents in support of the application. Heard. As requested, put up for consideration on April 18, 2024," the judge said.

Khan, the Okhla MLA of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was not named as an accused in a recent chargesheet filed by the ED.

The ED, however, moved a magisterial court recently seeking prosecution of Khan for allegedly evading agency's summons in the case case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra has summoned Khan on April 20 in the case.

The federal probe agency also alleged before the ACMM that Khan has elevated his role from witness to accused by filing anticipatory bail plea and running away from the investigation.

The ED had also stated that the agency was not able to conclude probe against Khan because he was not presenting himself before it.

"All the other persons are the aides of this particular person. His role is much larger than the other accused persons who have been already arrested and chargesheeted," the ED had said.

The agency has named five entities in its prosecution complaint (the ED's equivalent of a chargesheet), including three suspected associates of Khan -- Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Imam Siddiqui.

The agency had, after conducting raids on premises linked to Khan and some others in October last year, claimed that the AAP MLA had acquired "huge proceeds of crime" in cash through illegal recruitment of staff to the Delhi Waqf Board and invested those for purchasing immovable assets in the name of his associates.

The searches were conducted in the case related to the illegal recruitment of staff and illegitimate personal gains made by the accused by unfairly leasing out the Waqf Board properties from 2018 to 2022 when Khan was its chairperson, the ED has alleged.

The money laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and three Delhi Police complaints.

Several "incriminating" material in the form of physical and digital evidence were seized during the raids, indicating Khan's involvement in the offence of money laundering, as per the agency.