AAP claims MLA Amanatullah Khan arrested in Waqf Board case

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday claimed that MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board.

Senior AAP leaders reached the residence of Amanatullah Khan in Delhi's Okhla area on late Thursday evening. This comes hours after Khan appeared before the central probe agency in the case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship.

In a post on X, Amanatullah Khan said, "You will not be able to break my spirit by arresting me, dictator."

However, the Enforcement Directorate has not confirmed arresting the AAP leader yet.

AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, who reached Amanatullah Khan's residence, said, "How did the ED officials arrive here when he (Khan) hadn't taken any money? Sanjay Singh was also kept in jail for six months and they (ED) are here to arrest him (Khan) on the same pattern so that the AAP government falls."

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi said, "The case against Amanatullah Khan is false. ED does not have any proof. I want to tell the BJP and the Prime Minister that even if you put all the AAP ministers or workers in jail, we will still stand resolutely behind Arvind Kejriwal."

CASE AGAINST AMANATULLAH KHAN

Last week, the Supreme Court refused to entertain Amanatullah Khan's anticipatory bail plea in the case and directed him to join the investigation on April 18.

The money laundering case against Khan stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and three Delhi Police complaints.

The ED, which had conducted raids on the premises of the AAP MLA, has claimed Khan 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.

The ED had alleged in a statement that "illegal recruitment" of staff took place in the Waqf Board and "illegal personal gains" were made by unfairly leasing the Waqf Board properties during Khan's chairmanship (2018-2022).

According to the probe agency, Khan "acquired huge proceeds of crime out of the said criminal activities in cash and this cash amount was invested in the purchase of various immovable properties in Delhi in the name of his associates".

Several "incriminating" materials in the form of physical and digital evidence were seized during the raids which "indicated" the Khan's role in money laundering, the ED said.

The AAP had alleged this investigation was among those "false cases" which were being filed against its party leaders.

With PTI inputs