Anti Corruption Branch arrests AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in Waqf case

The FIR against Khan, filed in 2020, is related to the illegal appointments, creation of tenancy in board’s properties and corruption in purchase of vehicles belonging to the board, officials associated with the case said.

New Delhi: The anti corruption branch (ACB) on Friday arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Amanatullah Khan in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board, Madhur Verma, the head of the ACB, said on Friday. Khan is the chairperson of the Delhi Waqf Board.

Khan has in the past denied the allegations and accused ACB of framing him in a criminal case based false allegations. (HT Photo)

The FIR against Khan, filed in 2020, is related to the illegal appointments, creation of tenancy in board’s properties and corruption in purchase of vehicles belonging to the board, officials associated with the case said.

Khan was summoned to the ACB headquarters for questioning on Friday noon. While Khan was being questioned, four different ACB teams conducted raids at four places in Jamia Nagar, including Khan’s house. The team found two unlicensed pistols, bullets of different caliber, around ₹24 lakh cash, and a bank note counter from the house of his two associates, the officials said.

“The first unlicenced pistol was recovered from Khan’s friend, Hamia Ali’s house. Ali works as his bagman for the legislator and handles his money. We recovered the second pistol from Kushar Imam Siddiqui alias Laddan. We recovered ₹24 lakh cash ( ₹12 lakh each) from their houses. Apart from this, we have recovered property papers and details of business transactions related to the legislator. We are examining the documents,” said Verma.

The ACB chief added that the probe agency has also filed two FIRs at the Jamia Nagar police station. “The first one, was lodged under the Arms Act, against Khan’s associates over recovery of illegal pistols. The second was registered in connection with the attack on our team by the legislator’s family members and supporters outside his house during the raid,” Verma said.

The FIR against Khan was registered on January 28, 2020, under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act on a complaint by a former Waqb board member. In his complaint, the member had alleged illegal recruitment of 33 personnel in the Delhi Waqf Board, financial bungling of records, corruption in purchase of vehicles and creation of tenancy in board’s properties.

Last month, the ACB had written to the lieutenant governor VK Saxena requesting that Khan be removed as the Waqf board chairperson because the MLA was causing a “hindrance in conducting free and fair investigation”. The agency had also alleged that Khan was threatening witnesses in the case.

Khan has in the past denied the allegations and accused ACB of framing him in a criminal case based false allegations. On Thursday evening, the AAP MLA uploaded a copy of the ACB’s summon on his social media profiles, and said that while he had built a new Waqf board office, the ACB had summoned him.

“I have been summoned to ACB office for questioning, and a police team has been sent to my house to harass my family. Mr LG, the truth can never be harmed. I have full faith in the Constitution and the judiciary,” Khan tweeted after receiving the summons.

Around 2 pm, Khan reached the ACB headquarters in Civil Lines, accompanied by his supporters. To prevent a potential law and order problem, security was deployed outside the ACB office.

“We will probe details about the cash recovered from the houses of the two men. One of them, Laddan, is a member of the AAP. We checked Khan’s income tax records and saw that despite having so much cash and properties, in official records he has shown an income of less than ₹4 lakh,” said an ACB officer privy to the probe details.

While Khan has in the past been arrested at least five times by the Delhi police, this is the first time he has been arrested in a corruption case.

The MLA’s arrest may become yet another flashpoint between the AAP government in Delhi and the LG. The ACB comes under the Delhi government but reports to the LG.

An AAP spokesperson said that Khan has been arrested in a “baseless and totally fake” case. “Nothing was found from his residence or office during the searches. It is a new conspiracy to frame and defame AAP,” the spokesperson said.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta on Friday accused AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal of protecting corrupt leaders. He said, “AAP has been exposed. One of their ministers is in jail, the deputy CM is under probe in the liquor scam. The party, which preached honesty, has been exposed. People of Delhi are watching. Khan is close to the chief minister. Khan should be dismissed.”