Delhi: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan questioned by ED for over 12 hours in money laundering case

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan left the Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) office in Delhi post midnight on Friday after being questioned by the agency in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship.

The AAP MLA, who reached the ED Office around 11 am on Thursday, was questioned by the ED for more than 12 hours. The agency questioned and recorded his statement in connection with the case.

“I was called (by ED) for questioning; the Supreme Court had directed me to appear, so I had come at 11 am. I was questioned and my statement was recorded, and now I am leaving,” Amanatullah Khan said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Amanatullah Khan, AAP MLA says, " I was called (by ED) for questioning, Supreme Court had directed me to appear so I had come at 11:00 am. I was questioned and my statement was recorded and now I am leaving…" pic.twitter.com/rkxs9v1xpi

— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2024

The AAP MLA also claimed that central agencies have been pushing “him to resign and turn against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal”.

“I want to tell the public of Okhla that for the last two years, the central agencies have been chasing and irritating me. They have been trying to get my resignation. And leave Arvind Kejriwal and turn against him,” Khan alleged in a video message. The video was also shared by Khan in a post on X on Thursday evening.

Earlier on Thursday, AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the ED was planning to arrest Khan in connection with a “baseless” case.

Taking to social media platform X, Sanjay Singh said, “Modi government is working on its Operation Lotus with full might. Ministers and MLAs are being arrested on false charges. ED is planning to arrest @KhanAmanatullah by framing a baseless case against him. The dictatorship will end soon. I am going to meet his family”.

The AAP MP, along with other party leaders, including Delhi Ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Gopal Rai, reached Khan’s residence to meet his family on Thursday night.

“I want to say this to PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in very clear words: their Operation Lotus will not be successful in Delhi…Your dictatorship will end soon. This matter has been going on since 2016, when the CBI filed a chargesheet and Amanatullah Khan was not arrested. Even the court told ED that it has no proof against Amanatullah Khan, despite this, he is being arrested”, Singh told reporters.

“This conspiracy has been created to dismantle the Delhi government and break the party… AAP stands with Amanatullah Khan and his family… We haven’t received any official information from the ED as of now”, he added.

Earlier, the Supreme Court on Monday (April 15) declined to grant anticipatory bail to Amanatullah Khan in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship.

But, the bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta also stated that Khan should not be arrested unless there is sufficient material against him. It cautioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against unnecessarily exercising the right to arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Earlier, ED had moved an application for the issuance of an open-ended, non-bailable warrant against Amanatullah Khan. Recently, the ED filed a chargesheet against four people and one firm in a case of alleged money laundering at the Delhi Waqf Board during the chairmanship of Amanat Ullah Khan.

The ED had been sending summons to him to squeeze him in relation to Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case. But, his anticipatory bail pleas have been dismissed by the trial court as well the High court.

The money laundering case against Khan stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and three Delhi Police complaints. The allegations against Khan concern his time as chairman of the Waqf Board. He has been accused of illegally recruiting people in violation of the law and unfairly leasing Waqf Board properties during 2018-2022. (ANI)