Delhi: AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan Arrested Over Charges of Illegal Recruitment to Waqf Board

Hours after Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) conducted raids at Aam Aadmi Party leader Amanatullah Khan’s residence and four other locations in south Delhi in connection with a corruption case related to recruitment in the Delhi Waqf Board, the Okhla MLA was arrested over “incriminating material and evidence” recovered during the searches, sources said on Friday. Two pistols, cartridges and over Rs 24 lakh in cash were also recovered during raids from houses of his aides, police said.

The raids were conducted after the AAP MLA was called for questioning at 12 pm in connection with the case registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2020 over alleged irregularities in recruitment in the Delhi Waqf board.

The ACB in a statement said, Amanatullah Khan while working as Chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, “illegally recruited 32 persons violating norms and government guidelines” and was accused of corruption and favouritism. The then CEO of the Delhi Waqf Board had clearly given a statement and issued a memorandum against such illegal recruitment, it said. Further, Khan allegedly rented out several properties of the Delhi Waqf Board illegally and misappropriated its funds comprising of grants in aid from the Delhi Government, it added.

‘Fabricated Case’

Meanwhile, the AAP said the case against the MLA is ‘fabricated’ and claimed nothing incriminating was found in the searches. “Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan has been arrested in a baseless and outright fake case. Nothing was found from his residence or office during the raid. This is a new conspiracy to implicate the MLA in a false case and defame the Aam Aadmi Party,” an official party statement said.

Khan, the chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, said an FIR was lodged against him as he had recruited contractual staff. “I did as per norms. The employees are still working under contract. They (ACB) keep asking questions about everything.” He further said he has transferred all money for relief work and the recruitment committee hired people based on merit. “The recruitment committee hired people on a merit basis,” he said, adding he doesn’t know “if anyone from my family was recruited.”

In a tweet, he said, he was called to the ACB office for questioning and the Delhi Police was sent to harass his family members from behind. Taking a jibe against Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena, he further said he has “full faith in the constitution and judiciary of this country.”

In an earlier tweet, he said he was issued a notice by the ACB and claimed he has been summoned as he built a new Waqf board office.

Apart from the AAP leader, the houses of his three associates: Minatullah Khan, Hamid Ali and Laddan were raided in the case, according to sources. Notably, Minatullah Khan was earlier seen with the MLA today during questioning by the ACB.

Minatullah Khan said he received a call from his family members about the raids at his residence while he was with the AAP MLA at the ACB office. “I received a call from my family members and was told some unidentified individuals came to my house and entered my bedroom. Seeing this, the neighbours also came and asked for their dentities. They said they were from ACB but no local police were there. All of them were in civil uniforms.”

Unlicensed Pistols, Rs 24 lakh Cash Seized

The officials recovered a loaded Beretta pistol, Rs 12 lakh in cash and several important documents during searches at Khan’s alleged business partner Hamid Ali’s house. “It is a loaded pistol with cartridges. They are unable to show us the license. We are searching the premise further,” an ACB officer told News18, adding that a “beretta is not an ordinary weapon.” A country-made pistol was also recovered from Laddan’s house, police sources said.

A total of Rs 24 lakh in cash, two illegal arms and ammunition were recovered during searches from two of the AAP MLA’s associates, the official statement said.

Amanatullah Khan was also questioned on the recoveries at the ACB office. The search team comprising of an ACP was attacked by the relatives and other known persons of the AAP leader and caused “obstruction in the discharge of government duty to ACB officers,” it added.

Amanatullah Khan Arrested, 3 FIRs Registered

Two FIRs were lodged against Hamid Ali and Laddan over the recovery of illegal weapons and another was registered for manhandling of police officials by relatives of Amanatullah Khan.

MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested for his involvement in Case FIR No. 5/2020 of ACB Delhi on the basis of incriminating material and evidence recovered against him during the searches conducted today, an official statement said.

The AAP MLA will be produced at Rouse Avenue Court at around 2 pm on Saturday.

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