Huge relief for AAP: Delhi court grants bail to Amanatullah Khan in Waqf Board case

In a huge relief for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to MLA Amanatullah Khan in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case. The court refused to take cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Khan and others.

Special judge Jitendra Singh said while there is sufficient evidence against Khan to proceed against him, there was no sanction to prosecute him. 

"Therefore, the cognisance is declined," the judge said. While granting bail to the AAP MLA, the court asked him to pay a surety amount of Rs 1 lakh. The court mentioned that there was no evidence to proceed with the case against Mariyam Siddiqui, also named in the supplementary charge sheet. 

The case against Amanatullah Khan pertains to the alleged purchase of land worth Rs 36 crore in the Okhla area during the AAP MLA's tenure as the Delhi Waqf Board chairman from 2016-21. Khan also illegally appointed members to the board and caused a loss to the exchequer. 

In its 110-page supplementary chargesheet filed on October 29, the ED claimed Khan laundered money that was allegedly generated through corruption in the Delhi Waqf Board.

The court, however, observed that the necessary approval for prosecuting the AAP leader had not been obtained from the relevant authorities. Consequently, the court ordered his immediate release.

Although the court recognized that there was sufficient evidence against Khan, it stressed that the trial could not continue without the proper sanctions. 

The case against Amanatullah Khan stems from 2 FIRs -- one filed by the CBI pertaining to alleged irregularities in Waqf Board appointments and another by the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) regarding an alleged case of disproportionate assets. 

(With India Today, agency inputs)