New Delhi: First, he was questioned in the day, then the raids followed and by evening the Delhi Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan in a two-year-old corruption case related to alleged illegal appointments in the Delhi Waqf Board.
The AAP has stood behind the 48-year-old MLA, calling the charges against him "baseless".
The Okhla MLA was called for questioning at 12 pm on Friday in connection with the case, which was registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2020.
"Mr Amanatullah Khan while working as Chairman of Delhi Waqf Board illegally recruited 32 persons violating all norms and Govt. guidelines and with allegations of corruption and favoritism. The then CEO of Delhi Waqf Board had clearly given statement and issued memorandum against such illegal recruitment," said a press release from the anti-corruption office.
The anti-corruption unit has also claimed that its search team was "attacked by the relatives and other known persons of Mr. Amanatullah Khan" outside his residence.
The ACB further claims that the AAP leader "misappropriated the funds of Delhi Waqf Board comprising grants in aid from Delhi Government".
The ACB seized Rs 24 lakh as well as two illegal and unlicensed weapons.
"The arrest of Amanatullah Khan is baseless and the case against him is absolutely bogus. Nothing has been found in the raids at his home and office. This is a new attemtpt to malign the AAP and tarnish the image of the MLA," said the party in its response to the arrest.
Mr Khan is the latest of several AAP leaders being raided by central investigative agencies in what has turned into a bitter war of words between the Centre and the AAP.
Mr Khan, Chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, had last night posted a snide tweet about the notice, claiming he has been summoned as he built a new Waqf board office.
The Anti-Corruption Branch of the Delhi government, which reports to Lt Governor VK Saxena, a representative of the BJP-led government at the centre, had sent notice to Mr Khan to appear for questioning over allegations of illegal appointment in the Delhi Waqf Board which oversees the administration of Islamic property dedicated to welfare causes.
Earlier, the ACB had written to the Lieutenant Governor's Secretariat demanding that Mr Khan be removed as the Delhi Waqf Board chairman for allegedly hampering a probe by "bullying" witnesses in a case against him.
Mr Saxena had earlier cleared the CBI to prosecute the Delhi Waqf Board Chairman in the case registered against him in 2016, news agency PTI had reported.
The news agency quoted sources as saying that the prosecution sanction has also been granted against then Waqf Board CEO Mehboob Aalam for offences including "deliberate and criminal violation" of rules, regulations, and law, and "misuse of position" and causing financial losses to the exchequer.
The Delhi government's revenue department's sub-divisional magistrate (headquarters) had in November 2016 filed a complaint alleging "arbitrary and illegal" appointments by Mr Khan to various existing and non-existing posts in the Delhi Waqf Board.