NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court refused to grant anticipatory bail to Okhla MLA and AAP leader Amanatullah Khan seeking anticipatory bail in a money laundering case related to the alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board during his chairmanship. The SC ordered Khan to appear before the ED on April 18.
“Arrest him in case there is material and in case there is no material, don’t arrest him. You will have to follow the procedure under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). We take it that you will not arrest him unless you satisfy yourself about Section 19,” an SC bench told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED.
Section 19 allows ED to arrest a person based on material in its possession that suggests the person has committed an offence punishable under the law.
The bench took exception to some observations made in the March 11 verdict of Delhi HC about the merit of the case. Khan is accused of acquiring “huge proceeds of crime” in cash through illegal recruitment of staff purchasing immovable assets in the name of his aides.
The Delhi HC on March 11 rejected Khan’s plea seeking bail. The HC noted that he failed in his duty to appear before the ED despite six summonses in the money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board during his chairmanship.