A Delhi court on Thursday ordered the release of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board. The court also declined to take cognizance of the chargesheet filed against Khan, stating insufficient sanction for prosecution. Special Judge Jitendra Singh noted that while there was enough evidence to proceed against Khan, the required approval for his prosecution had yet to be obtained. As a result, the court chose not to take cognizance of the case.

The court directed that Khan be released from judicial custody upon furnishing a bail bond of ₹1 lakh and one surety of the same amount. This ruling came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary prosecution complaint in October, accusing Khan of laundering money generated through corrupt activities during his tenure as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board between 2016 and 2021.

The chargesheet also named Mariam Siddiqui, who the ED did not arrest. The court noted no evidence to proceed against Siddiqui and ordered her discharge. Khan’s defence lawyer, Rajat Bhardwaj, explained that the court had declined to proceed with charges due to the lack of sanction for prosecution and emphasized the absence of evidence against Siddiqui, leading to no summons being issued for her.

The money laundering case is based on allegations of irregularities in appointments to the Waqf Board, causing financial losses to the exchequer, and the laundering of ₹36 crore into properties. The ED’s investigation stemmed from two FIRs: one filed by the CBI regarding the Waqf Board appointments and another by Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch concerning Khan’s alleged disproportionate assets.