Amanatullah Khan money laundering case: Three arrested by ED

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has arrested three people as part of a money laundering investigation against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan linked to alleged irregularities in recruitment of staff for the Delhi Waqf Board, official sources said Saturday.

The agency had last month raided the premises of the 49-year-old legislator who represents the Okhla constituency in the Delhi assembly.

Three people have been taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. Their identities were not immediately known.

The agency had alleged that Khan acquired “huge proceeds of crime” in cash from illegal recruitment of staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested these for purchasing immovable assets in the name of his associates.

“The searches were conducted in the case related to illegal recruitment of staff in Delhi Waqf Board and illegal personal gains by way of unfairly leasing out of Waqf Board properties during the chairmanship of the board by Amantullah Khan during 2018-2022,” the agency claimed in a statement.

It said a CBI FIR and three Delhi Police complaints formed the basis of the ED action against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA.

Khan, the ED said, “acquired huge proceeds of crime out of the said criminal activities in cash and this cash amount was invested in purchase of various immovable properties in Delhi in the name of his associates.”

Several “incriminating” materials in the form of physical and digital evidences were seized during the raids which “indicate” the role of Khan in the offence of money laundering, it said.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had alleged there was a campaign underway to end the AAP and asserted that false cases are being filed against party leaders.