AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj accuses Centre of 'misusing' ED in Amantullah Khan case

New Delhi [India]September 2 (ANI): After Aam Aadmi Party MP Amanatullah Khan said his house was raided by the probe agency, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday accused the central government of “misusing” the probe agency.

Bhardwaj alleged that the central government was trying to increase pressure on the AAP ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.

“The whole country is seeing how the authorities are being abused and the closer the elections get, the more these people will increase the pressure,” Bhardwaj said.

Saurabh Bharadwaj further claimed that no allegations had been made against MP Amanatullah Khan in connection with the Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case.

“This is a case of 2016… For eight years, all agencies at different levels have been investigating this case. Nothing has been found so far. It is a great shame for the central government that despite investigations by ACB and CBI, no money transaction could be found,” said Bharadwaj.

Khan had today claimed to the ED that Enforcement Directorate officials had come to his house in Okhla, the country's capital, to arrest him.

In a post on X, Khan said: “ED people just showed up at my house to arrest me.” Meanwhile, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said the AAP was “a party surrounded by criminals”.

“AAP is a party surrounded by criminals. The party whose chief minister is in jail, someone is in jail for one scam and someone else for another… no one is above the law. If there are any allegations against Amanatullah Khan, the court will decide on it,” Giriraj Singh said.

Minnatullah Khan, a cousin of Amanatullah Khan, said his mother-in-law had recently undergone a surgery. “His mother-in-law was recently operated on, she is a cancer patient. Despite investigations by the ACB and CBI, nothing has been found so far. Now the emergency department is investigating,” said Minnatullah Khan.

Earlier in April this year, the Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to Khan in connection with the recent complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate against him for allegedly failing to appear on summons in the money laundering case against the Delhi Waqf Board.

ED recently filed a complaint against him for failing to appear before the board and cooperate in the investigation into the case of alleged irregularities in the appointment of posts in the Delhi Waqf Board and leasing of its properties.

The Federal Investigation Agency had alleged that Khan had upgraded his role from a witness to an accused by filing an application for interim bail and absconding from the investigation. The ED's lawyer further stated that the investigation against him could never be completed because he did not come forward before the agency.

Charges have already been filed against four accused and a company. It is alleged that Waqf properties worth Rs 100 crore were leased out illegally. It is also alleged that during Khan's tenure, 32 contractual employees were appointed to the Delhi Waqf Board, which was against the rules. (ANI)