A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court by the Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan challenging the summons by Enforcement Directorate’s which require his presence in connection with a money laundering case.
The investigation by ED’s revolves around the allegations of illegal recruitments during the tenure of Khan as the chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board.
The bench comprising of Justice Rekha Palli and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar have decided to hear the matter on Thursday and refrained from issuing any immediate orders.
The court said that the summons had been delivered a week earlier, for which he needs to immediately report or submit a response.
It is important to note that the AAP leader’s senior counsel has also contested the constitutional validity of specific provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The counsel for Khan has expressed their concerns about potential infringement on liberty of they client and argued against his appearance before the agency.
A different bench recused itself from the case, which lead to its consideration by the bench headed by Justice Rekha Palli in the post-lunch session.
In its report ,the ED alleged that Amanatullah Khan, in his tenure, engaged in the unlawful recruitment of 32 individuals which violated the established norms and government guidelines.
The Enforcement Directorate also claimed that Khan utilized the “proceeds of crime” from these illegal recruitments to acquire assets in the name of associates.
The ED has also filed a charge sheet against five persons, including three associates of Khan—Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir, and Jawed Imam Siddiqui—who were arrested in November 2023 during raids on the legislator’s premises.