The Delhi Waqf Board appointment scam has taken another turn as Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate after several summons. A raid at the homes of his close acquaintances found cash and a diary mentioning crores of rupees in transactions, raising suspicions of unlawful use of Delhi Waqf Board funds. This is not Khan's first encounter with the ED, and he has previously been arrested in September 2022 for corruption charges. The Delhi court has refused to grant him anticipatory bail, stating that everyone is subject to the same law.
Amanatullah Khan: Money Laundering Case and Anticipatory Bail Denial
Background
Amanatullah Khan, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Okhla, has been embroiled in a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi Waqf Board Appointment Scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had been investigating the case and had summoned Khan for questioning on multiple occasions.
Arrest and Seizure
On September 14, 2023, the ED arrested Khan after conducting raids at his residence and the homes of his close associates. During the raids, the ED recovered cash and a diary that contained details of crores of rupees worth of transactions. The diary allegedly contained entries مرتبط with the Delhi Waqf Board funds.
This is not Khan's first encounter with the ED. He was previously arrested in September 2022 on corruption charges related to the same case. The Delhi Court had denied him anticipatory bail in that case as well.
Anticipatory Bail Denial
Following his arrest, Khan's lawyers filed an anticipatory bail application in the Supreme Court of India. However, on September 15, 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed the application, stating that everyone is subject to the same law and cannot be granted preferential treatment.
Top 5 FAQs
1. What is the Delhi Waqf Board Appointment Scam? This case involves allegations that Delhi Waqf Board funds were misused for the appointment of close associates of Amanatullah Khan, who was the Chairman of the Board at the time.
2. Why was Amanatullah Khan arrested? Khan was arrested by the ED based on evidence gathered during raids at his residence and other locations. The evidence included cash and a diary containing details of suspicious transactions worth crores of rupees.
3. What charges are Khan facing? Khan is facing charges of money laundering under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and corruption under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
4. What is the status of Khan's bail application? The Delhi Court and the Supreme Court have both denied Khan anticipatory bail in this case.
5. What are the potential consequences for Khan? If convicted, Khan could face significant jail time and financial penalties under the PMLA and IPC.
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