AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan Summoned by ED Again on Apr 29

New Delhi: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has been asked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to depose again next week in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship, officials sources said on Saturday.

The MLA has been asked to appear on April 29 and continue with the recording of his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

The 50-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from the Okhla assembly seat was questioned by the central agency for about 13 hours last week.

In a related development, a Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to Khan in this money laundering case for allegedly evading its earlier summons issued to him in the case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Divya Malhotra granted bail to Khan on a personal bond of Rs 15,000 and one surety of like amount after he appeared before the court.

AAP leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi had earlier said that the ED case against Khan was "fake" and the party stood by its legislator.

The first deposition of Khan on April 18 came after the Supreme Court refused to entertain his anticipatory bail application in this case. The apex court had directed him to join the investigation.

Speaking to reporters before entering the ED office that day, Khan had claimed that he followed the rules when he was the chairman of the Waqf Board and did everything after taking the legal opinion and as per the new Act (for the board) that came in 2013.

The money laundering case against Khan and his alleged associates stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and three Delhi Police complaints.

The ED, which had conducted raids on his premises, has claimed that Khan acquired "huge proceeds of crime" in cash through illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested those to purchase immovable assets in the name of his associates.

The agency had alleged in a statement that "illegal recruitment" of staff took place in the Waqf Board and "illegal personal gains" were made by unfairly leasing the Waqf Board properties during Khan's chairmanship (2018-2022).