1 week Ago By TOI News Desk
- NEW DELHI: Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Thursday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Amanatullah Khan in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi Waqf Board . The court's decision follows the filing of a 110-page chargesheet by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 29, which accused Khan of laundering funds allegedly derived from corrupt activities within the Waqf Board. The court directed Khan’s release on a bond of Rs 1 lakh, saying that while the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet presents a compelling case, prosecution cannot continue without appropriate authorisation.
In the same ruling, the court declined to take cognisance of the charges, noting a procedural deficiency in the case against the MLA. Khan’s co-accused, Mariam Siddiqui, was also discharged due to a lack of evidence against her. Khan, who was arrested on September 2 after a raid at his Okhla residence, has been under judicial custody since then.
The ED claims Khan was "evasive" during questioning, which prompted further investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). His judicial custody was extended multiple times, with the current period set to end on November 16. On Wednesday, the court had reserved its decision on whether to accept the ED's supplementary chargesheet against Khan and Siddiqui.
The ED has argued that releasing Khan could interfere with the ongoing investigation and potentially lead to witness tampering. The ED’s investigation links Khan’s alleged criminal activities to two separate cases: a CBI probe into irregularities within the Waqf Board and a Delhi Police Anti-Corruption Branch investigation into disproportionate assets. The agency insists it has gathered substantial evidence to pursue charges against Khan under the PMLA.
.
