New Delhi, The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to two persons arrested in a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of the Delhi Waqf Board, which also involves AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan .
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the bail applications of accused Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir, saying there was sufficient material to attract prohibition on granting bail under the anti-money laundering law.
Both accused were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November 2023.
In the order passed on July 1, Justice Sharma observed that Amanatullah Khan, as alleged, purchased immovable properties in the names of "benamidars", Haider and Nasir, suppressing their real value and actively concealing amounts that were paid in cash to the seller. . .
"Material evidence gathered during the course of investigation by the Enforcement Directorate reveals that Amanatullah Khan had hatched a criminal conspiracy along with his close associates i.e. the present applicants/accused and others, and pursuant with the same, he had invested his evil "obtained money, i.e. proceeds of crime, in immovable properties through his associates, namely, Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and others", the court stated.
The court noted that there were transactions related to the purchase of the property, both in cash and through banking channels, totaling approximately Rs 36 million.
"Therefore, the material placed before this Court at this stage is sufficient to attract exclusion under Section 45 of the PMLA against both the applicants. Taking into account the above facts and circumstances, this Court does not consider that it is a suitable case for grant regular bail to the present plaintiffs i.e. Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir," the court concluded.
The money laundering case against Khan arises from an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and three complaints by the Delhi Police.
The agency has named five people in its prosecution complaint (ED's equivalent of a charge sheet) which included three alleged associates of Khan - Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Imam Siddiqui.
The ED, which earlier carried out raids on the legislator's premises, alleged that Khan acquired "huge proceeds of crime" in cash by illegally recruiting staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested them to purchase immovable assets in the names of his associates. .
The searches were carried out in the case related to illegal recruitment of staff and illegitimate personal gains made by the accused through unfair leasing of Waqf Board properties during 2018-2022, when Khan was its chairman, the ED.
Various "incriminating" materials in the form of physical and digital evidence were seized during the raids, indicating Khan's involvement in the money laundering crime, the ED said.
In March, while disapproving of repeated evasion of summons from probe bodies by public persons, the top court had refused to grant anticipatory bail to the AAP MLA in the case.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the bail applications of accused Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir, saying there was sufficient material to attract prohibition on granting bail under the anti-money laundering law.
Both accused were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in November 2023.
In the order passed on July 1, Justice Sharma observed that Amanatullah Khan, as alleged, purchased immovable properties in the names of "benamidars", Haider and Nasir, suppressing their real value and actively concealing amounts that were paid in cash to the seller. . .
"Material evidence gathered during the course of investigation by the Enforcement Directorate reveals that Amanatullah Khan had hatched a criminal conspiracy along with his close associates i.e. the present applicants/accused and others, and pursuant with the same, he had invested his evil "obtained money, i.e. proceeds of crime, in immovable properties through his associates, namely, Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and others", the court stated.
The court noted that there were transactions related to the purchase of the property, both in cash and through banking channels, totaling approximately Rs 36 million.
"Therefore, the material placed before this Court at this stage is sufficient to attract exclusion under Section 45 of the PMLA against both the applicants. Taking into account the above facts and circumstances, this Court does not consider that it is a suitable case for grant regular bail to the present plaintiffs i.e. Zeeshan Haider and Daud Nasir," the court concluded.
The money laundering case against Khan arises from an FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and three complaints by the Delhi Police.
The agency has named five people in its prosecution complaint (ED's equivalent of a charge sheet) which included three alleged associates of Khan - Zeeshan Haider, Daud Nasir and Jawed Imam Siddiqui.
The ED, which earlier carried out raids on the legislator's premises, alleged that Khan acquired "huge proceeds of crime" in cash by illegally recruiting staff in the Delhi Waqf Board and invested them to purchase immovable assets in the names of his associates. .
The searches were carried out in the case related to illegal recruitment of staff and illegitimate personal gains made by the accused through unfair leasing of Waqf Board properties during 2018-2022, when Khan was its chairman, the ED.
Various "incriminating" materials in the form of physical and digital evidence were seized during the raids, indicating Khan's involvement in the money laundering crime, the ED said.
In March, while disapproving of repeated evasion of summons from probe bodies by public persons, the top court had refused to grant anticipatory bail to the AAP MLA in the case.
