The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan on Monday following a raid at his residence in the morning.
Khan, who serves as the chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, has been detained in connection with alleged irregularities involving Waqf properties.
Khan’s cousin, Minnatullah Khan, said that the AAP MLA is innocent, citing previous investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Central Bureau of Investigation, which reportedly found no evidence of wrongdoing against him.
In a self-recorded video, Amanatullah accused the ED of repeatedly harassing him over the past two years. He claimed that despite his compliance with notices and written communications, the ED’s actions are part of a broader strategy to undermine his party. “It is seven in the morning, and the ED has come to arrest me under the guise of a search warrant. My mother-in-law is suffering from cancer and is at home. I have responded to every notice they have sent. Their only objective is to destabilize our party. We will not surrender or be broken,” Khan said.
“This is a completely false case.”
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also voiced support for Khan, criticizing the ED’s actions. In a post on X, Singh Singh said: “Amanatullah Khan joined the ED investigation and requested additional time. Despite his mother-in-law’s critical health, the ED chose to raid his home early in the morning. There is no evidence against him, but the ED’s actions reflect Modi’s dictatorship and hooliganism.”
Earlier in April, the Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to Khan in connection with the ED’s complaint related to alleged non-compliance with summons in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case. The ED had accused Khan of failing to attend the investigation related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board’s property leases and appointments.
The agency claimed that Khan had shifted from being a witness to an accused by seeking anticipatory bail and avoiding the probe. The ED’s lawyer alleged that the investigation could not proceed due to Khan’s non-cooperation.
A charge sheet has already been filed against four individuals and one company in connection with the case. It is alleged that Rs 100 crore worth of Waqf properties were leased illegally, and 32 contractual employees were appointed during Khan’s tenure as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board in violation of regulations.
(With ANI input)