The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids and searched properties associated with AAP Delhi MLA Amanatullah Khan on Tuesday (10th October) as part of a money laundering inquiry against him and others. According to ED officials, searches are being conducted in a number of locations in accordance with the terms of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Khan, an Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Okhla, was arrested last year by the Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board.
The ED has taken suo motu cognizance of Khan and others in connection with alleged corruption pertaining to illegal postings in the Delhi Waqf Board. Vinai Kumar Saxena is the lieutenant governor to whom the Delhi ACB reports.
A video shared by news agency ANI showed a large security presence outside Khan’s Okhla mansion, where the raids are taking place. Earlier in the year 2022, the Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch raided his residence and recovered several incriminating materials and evidence against him in the case.
The raids came just days after the investigation agency raided AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s Delhi apartment and arrested the Rajya Sabha member for his involvement in the Delhi Liquor Policy scam.
What is the case against Amanatullah Khan?
The raids on Khan are related to an unauthorised appointment to the Waqf Board. In 2016, a case was lodged against Khan following a complaint from the sub-divisional magistrate (headquarters), revenue department, alleging that appointments to various “existing and non-existing posts” in the Waqf Board were “arbitrary and illegal”.
According to charges made by a man named Hafiz Irshad Qureshi, the Board hired 33 persons on a contract basis without following any laws or regulations. Some of those chosen to the board were said to be related to Khan, and the majority were from his area, Okhla.
The complaint further stated that the CEO of the new Waqf board and over 30 staff members were appointed and employed in contravention of Section 24 of the Waqf Act, 1955 and Delhi Waqf Rules, 1977.
An FIR was filed in the aforementioned case in 2020 and Khan had been charged with illegal appointments, rule violations, and theft of funds in the Waqf Board.
Since then, an investigation has been underway.
The CBI had also booked AAP MLA from Okhla under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant sections of the IPC after a complaint was filed against him in 2016. Khan was also accused of corrupt actions and criminal offences including deliberate and criminal violation of rules and regulations, and misuse of position.
Reportedly, the CBI had probed the matter and found substantial evidence against the AAP MLA, following which the CBI sought permission from LG to proceed against him in July 2022.
The FIR by CBI stated that irregular and illegal appointment of officials had led to the loss of revenue of the Delhi Waqf Board, and the appointments were done by misusing their official positions as public servants. It was alleged that waqf board properties were leased to the tenants and the encroachers were allowed to possess the properties in contravention of lease rules leading to the loss of revenue/assets for the board.
AAP MLA’s past antecedents
It is to be noted that Khan played a crucial role in instigating the Delhi riots that happened in the year 2019 against the Citizenship Amendment Act. It was reported that Khan was leading the protests which turned violent in Delhi after which the slogans of Azadi could be heard from the site of protest.
Further in the year 2020, he could also be seen defending AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, who is accused of murdering IB official Ankit Sharma and instigating the citizens against the Hindus during the riots. Defending the accused who continues to be in judicial custody in six other FIRs registered against him which include the case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for attempting to commit a large conspiracy during the anti-Hindu Delhi riots, Khan said that Hussain was being targeted just because he was a Muslim. The detailed role of Hussain in instigating the said violence can be read here.