November 14, 2024: In a significant development in the ongoing Delhi Waqf Board money laundering case, a Delhi court on Thursday directed the release of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan from judicial custody. The court also declined to take cognisance of the charges filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), citing a lack of sanction for his prosecution.

Special Judge Jitendra Singh, while reviewing the case, noted that while there was enough evidence to proceed against Khan, the necessary sanction to prosecute him had not been obtained. As a result, the judge ruled that cognisance of the charges could not be taken.

"The cognisance is declined," the judge stated, underscoring that there were procedural requirements that had not been met in the case.

Following the court's ruling, Amanatullah Khan, who was arrested in connection with alleged financial irregularities related to the Waqf Board, was ordered to be released on a bail bond of ₹1 lakh, along with one surety of the same amount.

The ED had filed a 110-page supplementary chargesheet against Khan on October 29, alleging that he laundered money generated through corruption within the Delhi Waqf Board. The chargesheet also named Mariam Siddiqui, though she was not arrested. However, the court found no sufficient evidence to proceed with charges against Siddiqui and discharged her from the case.

This case has been a focal point of political controversy, with the AAP claiming the charges against Khan to be politically motivated. Khan, a prominent AAP leader, had been in judicial custody since his arrest in September.