The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan. The petition challenges his arrest and remand in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in recruitment at the Delhi Waqf Board during his tenure as chairman [Amanatullah Khan vs. Directorate of Enforcement].
Justice Neena Krishna Bansal, who is presiding over the case, has sought a response from the ED and scheduled the next hearing for October 18. The money laundering charges stem from claims that Khan violated legal procedures in hiring personnel and in the acquisition of properties while heading the Waqf Board.
Khan’s legal troubles began when the Anti-Corruption Bureau filed a case against him, prompting the ED to initiate a money laundering investigation. His arrest on September 2 followed the rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.
In the current proceedings, Khan has questioned the legality of both his arrest and remand. Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, representing Khan, argued that the arrest was unlawful and that the Magistrate’s remand order was issued in a routine manner without proper consideration. Chaudhari drew parallels with a previous case involving AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court.
Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain, representing the ED, contended that Khan’s plea is not maintainable, accusing him of withholding key information that was part of his earlier anticipatory bail petition. Hossain emphasized that both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court had already reviewed and rejected Khan’s bail request based on the same evidence, criticizing Khan for not disclosing this in the current writ petition. He also referenced the Supreme Court’s dismissal of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s petition, citing suppression of material facts as the basis for rejection.
