Waqf Board money laundering case: Amanat Ullah Khan sent to 4-day ED custody | Mint

The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday sent AAP MLA Amanat Ullah Khan to four-day Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case.

Year The report said Khan was arrested on money laundering charges related to the purchase of a 1200 square yard plot of land, valued at $1,200,000. Cash worth Rs 36 crore was seized in Okhla. Special Judge Rakesh Syal granted a four-day custodial remand requested by the Enforcement Directorate, with Khan scheduled to appear in court again on September 6.

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The ED had initially sought 10-day remand.

Khan was re-arrested on Monday at the Rouse Avenue Court. The court allowed the AAP MLA to seek legal consultation, meet family, have home-cooked food and take medicines during his ED custody. Special public prosecutors Manish Jain, Simon Benjamin and Snehal Sharda represented the ED in the proceedings.

The agency said Amanat Ullah Khan is the prime accused in the case, who allegedly laundered the proceeds of crime through land purchases. A prosecution complaint has already been filed, and four other suspects have already been arrested, on which cognizance has been taken. Special Public Prosecutor Manish Jain mentioned that Khan’s anticipatory bail was rejected and 14 summons were issued to him, which he allegedly ignored.

The ED said the properties in question was worth Rs 36 crores, but a sale agreement was fabricated to show that it was worth Rs 36 crores. Rs 13.4 crore was deposited. Out of this, Rs 4 crore was paid and the remaining amount was given through banking channel.

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It was further stated that another sale agreement was recovered from the mobile phone of one of the accused. This agreement contained the price of the property. The ED said that out of the said amount, Rs 36 crore Rs 9 crore was paid through banking channel. 27 crore rupees were given in cash. Accused Amanat Ullah Khan made the payment 8 crore fraud was committed and the remaining amount was paid through other accused persons.

The ED also said that the diaries of Kausar Imam Siddiqui reveal high value financial transactions.

Many important evidences were recovered during the search. FSL has certified the handwriting of Kausar Imam Siddiqui. She had written the diary in her own handwriting.

While seeking remand, the ED said that Khan’s custody is needed as he is the main person behind the case. The ED said that he should be confronted with all the evidence.

The accused did not have his phone with him at the time of arrest. He said that he did not have a phone, which is hard to believe. His custody remand is necessary to interrogate him, ED SPP said.

Rajat Bhardwaj, Kaustubh Khanna along with senior advocate Vikram Choudhary appeared on behalf of Amanat Ullah Khan.

Senior counsel for the accused argued that there was nothing new in the grounds of arrest and the basis of belief. It was also argued that the accused had got bail in the CBI and ACB cases.

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The senior advocate further submitted that the present ED chargesheet was filed 6 years after the CBI FIR.

Advocate Rajat Bhardwaj said that chargesheet has not been filed in the ACB case. Arguments on charges in the CBI case are almost over.

The ED said the grounds for arrest were handed over to the accused within 24 hours.

ED said that the accused was produced in the court within 24 hours. The arrest of the accused has been made as per the law.

Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary said that the accused was arrested by the CBI on 16 September 2022. The ED case was registered on the same day. The accused has got bail in the CBI and ACB cases.

Advocate Bhardwaj said there was no evidence to show that the accused had any connection with it. He also said that under section 19 of PMLA, the ED has to show that the act of arrest was justified.

In January, the Rouse Avenue court took cognizance of the prosecution complaint (charge sheet) filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED had filed a chargesheet against four persons — Zeeshan Haider (his partnership firm Sky Power), Javed Imam Siddiqui, Dawood Nasir and Kausar Imam Siddiqui.

ED has alleged money laundering in the purchase and sale Property worth Rs 36 crore was confiscated at the behest of AAP MLA Amanat Ullah Khan.

Special CBI Judge Rakesh Syal had taken cognizance of the charge sheet and directed that copies of the charge sheet be provided to the counsel for the accused.

SPP Manish Jain had argued that in the case related to irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board, the allegation was how the main accused Amanat Ullah was involved in corrupt practices.

The allegations are that Property worth 100 crores was misused in Delhi Waqf Board and people were given jobs. There are allegations of misuse and embezzlement of funds.

It was also noted that during the investigation of this PMLA case, the ED reviewed earlier FIRs filed by the CBI, ACB and Delhi Police. The ACB had requested an investigation under PMLA against Amanat Ullah Khan, both as an MLA and former chairman.

The investigation revealed that the properties allegedly acquired from illegal money are located in Delhi, Telangana and Uttarakhand. The ACB conducted searches at properties owned or controlled by Hamid Ali Khan and Kausar Imam Siddiqui, where incriminating evidence and illegal weapons were recovered.

Additionally, three diaries written by Kausar Imam Siddiqui were also recovered during these searches.

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An FIR was registered at Jamia Nagar police station under section of the Arms Act in connection with the recovery of illegal weapons.

It was also alleged that he also purchased properties in the name of his benamidar Zeeshan Haider.

Special Public Prosecutor Jain also revealed that the diaries reveal important transactions between Amanat Ullah Khan and Javed Imam Siddiqui, including the purchase of a 1200 square yard plot at Tikona Park in Okhla. The diary contains details of Rs 36 crore. Amanat Ullah had allegedly Whereas there is Rs 8 crore in cash. Accused Zeeshan and Dawood Nasir paid Rs 9 crore to Javed Imam Siddiqui through bank channels.

The court inquired about the real owner of the property. SPP Jain replied that Ayesha Kanwar, who bought the plot in 2019, was the real owner and it was sold to Zeeshan and Dawood in 2021. The ED claimed that the property was acquired on the instructions of Amanat Ullah Khan. Further, Kausar Imam Siddiqui has been identified as the cousin of Javed Imam Siddiqui.