ED Arrests Amanatullah Khan for Alleged Corruption During Tenure as Delhi Waqf Board Chairman.
New Delhi:
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) Delhi Zonal Office arrested Amanatullah Khan yesterday, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The arrest follows allegations of irregularities committed during his tenure as Chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board from 2016 to 2021.
The investigation was triggered by a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act), 1988, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860. This FIR pertains to illegalities in the appointment of Group C and Group D employees at the Delhi Waqf Board, which allegedly caused financial loss to the government. Additional charges were laid by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) Delhi for misuse of authority in property allotments by Khan.
The ED’s probe, which included searches on October 9, 2023, and January 2, 2024, uncovered incriminating evidence. It was revealed that under Khan’s direction, associates Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir managed his ill-gotten funds, which were used to purchase a property in Okhla, Delhi, through cash transactions facilitated by Kausar Imam Siddiqui.
Significant cash deposits were found in the accounts of Jawed Imam Siddiqui and his wife, linked to the purchase of the property. Handwritten notes by Siddiqui corroborated the tainted cash transactions.
Throughout the investigation, Amanatullah Khan repeatedly failed to comply with summons issued by the ED. Despite receiving 14 summons, Khan appeared only once, on Supreme Court direction, and used various excuses—including health issues, election campaigning, and family emergencies—to delay his appearance. Following the dismissal of his anticipatory bail petitions, Khan was directed by the Supreme Court to cooperate, yet continued to evade investigation.
On April 19, 2024, and subsequent dates, Khan’s non-appearance led to prosecution complaints under Section 174 of the IPC, filed by the ED in the Rouse Avenue Court. Additionally, a prosecution complaint against Khan’s associates was filed on January 9, 2024, in the Special Court (PMLA), which took cognizance of the case on January 19, 2024.
Amanatullah Khan was finally arrested yesterday, and presented before the Special Court (PMLA), which remanded him to four days of ED custody.
