Delhi police arrest AAP legislator Amanatullah Khan’s aide Hamid Ali

The Delhi police on Saturday arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator and Waqf Board chairperson Amanatullah Khan’s alleged aide Hamid Ali after a pistol, some bullets and ₹12 lakh cash were recovered from his residence on Friday.

Deputy commissioner of police (south east) Esha Pandey confirmed the arrest. The police have registered a case under Arms Act against Ali.

Police said that a first information report (FIR) has been registered in connection with the arms found at the house of another associate of Amanatullah Khan, but he is absconding.

The anti-corruption branch (ACB) on Friday arrested Amanatullah Khan in connection with the alleged irregularities at the Delhi Waqf Board.

The FIR against Khan, filed in 2020, has alleged illegal appointments, creation of tenancy in board’s properties and corruption in purchase of vehicles.

ACB teams conducted raids at four places in Jamia Nagar, including Khan’s house. The team found two unlicensed pistols, bullets, around 24 lakh rupees and a bank note counter from the house of his two associates.

Also Read |Anti Corruption Branch arrests AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in Waqf case

“The first unlicensed pistol was recovered from Khan’s friend Hamid Ali’s house. Ali works as the bagman for the legislator and handles his money. We recovered the second pistol from Kushar Imam Siddhiqui alias Laddan. We recovered ₹24 lakh in cash ( ₹12 lakh each) from their houses. Apart from this we have recovered property papers and details of business transactions related to the legislator. We are examining the documents,” said Madhur Verma, the head of the ACB.

An FIR was also registered in connection with the attack on the ACB team by Khan’s family members and supporters outside his house during the raid, Verma added.

Last month, the ACB wrote to lieutenant governor (L-G) VK Saxena requesting that Khan be removed as the Waqf Board chairperson because the MLA was causing a “hindrance in conducting free and fair investigation”. The agency had also alleged that Khan was threatening witnesses in the case.

Khan has in the past denied the allegations and accused ACB of framing him in a criminal case based on false allegations. On Thursday evening, the AAP MLA uploaded a copy of the ACB’s summon on his social media profiles, and said that while he had built a new Waqf Board office, the ACB had summoned him.

“I have been summoned to ACB office for questioning, and a police team has been sent to my house to harass my family. Mr LG, the truth can never be harmed. I have full faith in the Constitution and the judiciary,” Khan tweeted after receiving the summons.

Around 2 pm, Khan reached the ACB headquarters in Civil Lines, accompanied by his supporters. To prevent a potential law and order problem, security was deployed outside the ACB office.