Delhi's Rouse Avenue court on Thursday declined to take cognisance against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a case related to an alleged money laundering in the purchase of a property worth Rs 36 crores. The court directed his release on a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh. The court said that there was sufficient evidence against him but there was no sanction to prosecute him and declined the cognisance.
The court also said that there is no evidence against Mariam Siddiqui and discharged her as well.
On Wednesday, the court had reserved its orders on whether to take cognisance of the supplementary chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case. The chargesheet named AAP leader Amanatullah Khan and Mariam Siddiqui.
Special Judge Jitendra Singh reserved the order on Wednesday after hearing arguments from the ED, which claimed there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the accused persons in the case.
On October 29, ED filed a 110-page first supplementary prosecution complaint (ED's equivalent to a chargesheet), claiming Khan laundered money that was allegedly generated through corruption in the Delhi Waqf Board.
The chargesheet named Mariam Siddiqui, who hasn't been arrested as an accused by the ED in the case.
The ED said there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Khan and others in the case registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. His bail plea is scheduled to come up on November 7.
Khan was arrested on September 2 under the provisions of the PMLA by the ED, which conducting a search at his house in Delhi's Okhla area.
The AAP MLA was accused of being evasive when questioned by the probe agency.
The money laundering probe against him stems from two FIRs -- the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) case in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board and an alleged disproportionate assets case registered by the Delhi Police anti-corruption unit.
-with PTI inputs