The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the stand of
AAP leader Amanatullah Khan on the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging a
trial court order refusing to take cognisance of a chargesheet filed against
him and releasing him in a money laundering case related to alleged
irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board.
Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice to the AAP MLA
from Okhla and listed the matter for further hearing on March 21.
The judge also asked the trial court to defer its
proceedings till after the next date of hearing in the high court.
The court passed the direction after the ED counsel
made a request for the same on the grounds that while the trial court had
refused to take cognisance of the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) against
Khan and his wife, it was scheduled to hear the matter on Friday against other
accused.
The trial court had last year declined to take
cognisance against Khan for the alleged offence of money laundering under the
Prevention of Money laundering Act, citing lack of requisite sanction to
prosecute him.
The ED on October 29, 2024 filed a 110-page first
supplementary prosecution complaint (equivalent to a chargesheet), alleging
that Khan laundered money which was purportedly generated through corruption in
the Delhi Waqf Board.
Khan was arrested on September 2, 2024 under the
provisions of the PMLA by the ED, which conducted 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 CBI's case in connection with alleged irregularities in the
Waqf Board and an alleged disproportionate assets case registered by the Delhi
Police anti-corruption unit.