NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday placed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Amanatullah Khan in judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a money-laundering investigation.
Special Judge Rakesh Syal ruled to extend Khan’s detention until September 23.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is leading the investigation, informed the court that Khan was no longer needed for further custodial interrogation. However, they requested that he be held in judicial custody, expressing concerns that his release could allow him to influence witnesses and potentially obstruct the ongoing investigation.
Khan’s lawyer contested the ED’s request, urging the court to release him with any necessary conditions. The MLA had been in ED custody for seven days, following his arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on September 2.
The arrest came after the ED conducted a search at Khan’s Okhla residence. According to the agency, Khan was “uncooperative” and “evasive” in responding to their inquiries.
The case against Khan originated from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR and three complaints filed by the Delhi Police.
In its prosecution complaint (the ED’s equivalent of a charge sheet), the agency named five persons, including three alleged associates of Khan—Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir, and Jawed Imam Siddiqui.
Ahead of his arrest last week, Khan had said, “It is seven in the morning, and the ED has come to arrest me in the name of a search warrant. My mother-in-law has cancer, and she is currently at my home. I have written to them, and I have also replied to each of their notices. These people have been harassing me continuously for the last two years. Their only aim is to break our party. We are not going to bow down.”