Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal (PTI, file)A day after a Delhi court granted bail to Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan in a case of alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board, senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders came out in his support. AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and senior party leaders tweeted their support for Khan, who was earlier declared a ‘bad character’ by the Delhi police.
“The BJP was busy with fake investigations in Delhi, and Gujarat slipped out of their hands. Today, after 75 years, people need solutions to their problems. There is great unease among the people. People do not like to do negative and revenge politics all day long,” tweeted Kejriwal, quoting a news report on Khan getting bail.
Sisodia tweeted, “This is called Satyamev Jayate.”
Special judge Vikas Dhull granted Khan bail Wednesday in a case registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in relation to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board. He said there was no loss to the state exchequer.
On allegations of irregularities in recruitment at the Waqf Board, the court said there is “no material on record to show that any of these recruited employees had paid any bribe to the accused in securing the employment.”
बीजेपी वाले दिल्ली में फ़र्ज़ी जाँच करते रह गये, उधर गुजरात इनके हाथों से फिसल गया।
आज 75 साल बाद लोगों को अपनी समस्याओं का समाधान चाहिए। लोगों में ज़बर्दस्त बेचैनी है। 24 घंटे नेगेटिव और बदले की राजनीति करना लोगों को पसंद नहीं। https://t.co/j9GezQhQrm
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) September 29, 2022
The ACB had alleged that Khan granted tenancies at a lower rate of rent which caused a loss to the board and state exchequer. The court after perusing the documents of 15 such properties said there was no loss to the exchequer.
The court said, “From the said document, it is apparent that tenancies have been created at a higher rent than the reserve price and also the rent is higher than the previous rent being taken from the earlier tenants.”
Regarding the allegation of misappropriation of Rs.3.20 crore, by way of payment of salaries to 32 contractual employees, the court said it has come on record that the “accused being the Chairman had no exclusive control over the Waqf fund.”
Over the past few months, several AAP leaders have been under the radar of investigation agencies. The AAP has called it a witch-hunt and said it has been launched because the party is contesting the Assembly elections in Gujarat.